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Ontario Soccer, in partnership with the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC), has announced the Ontario Academy Soccer League (OASL) program and Academies for 2018.
The OASL, which will feature 45 private academies in 2018, was launched in 2017 by Ontario Soccer and is a two-year pilot project in the province. This strategic initiative is designed to implement a separate Academy soccer stream, made up of private academies, which can be aligned with Ontario Soccer’s player development pathway.
“The Ontario Soccer landscape has changed significantly in the last 10 years in how programs and services are being offered to our players,” said Johnny Misley, Ontario Soccer Chief Executive Officer. “Private academies are growing in Ontario and our pilot project has increased from 13 academies in 2017 to now 45 in 2018. By piloting this program we will gain a better understanding of how to align our player development system and help meet our youth’s athletic goals.”
The OASL is a standards based program. The 45 academies will be split into two tiers and will compete in separate divisions for 2018. In an effort to be inclusive, each tier will maintain different standards of operations, based on the size and scope of an academy. All academies have received Board approval as Ontario Recognized Academies (ORA).
The specific criteria required for each Tier of academies can be found in the 2018 ORA RFP.
“It’s fantastic to see more academies signing on for this strategic piloted initiative,” said Gary Miller, Ontario Soccer Technical Director. “We are confident, by working with the Soccer Academy Alliance Canada, the OASL will build on what was started in 2017 and will align these academies into our developmental talented pathway.”
In a partnership announced in December, Soccer Academy Alliance Canada (SAAC) will manage the administration and operation of the OASL in 2018, while working closely with Ontario Soccer’s Academy Advisory Committee.
SAAC, which remains an Ontario Soccer Associate Member for 2018, was established in 2005, with a vision to develop world class soccer players in Canada on a continual and systematic basis.
The pilot OASL will operate youth competitive levels from U-13 to U-17 and grassroots development for U8-U12. Under the pilot provisions, a comprehensive two year evaluation will be completed along with a recommended plan for 2019 for presentation to the Board of Directors of Ontario Soccer.
Visit OntarioSoccer.net for more on the Ontario Academy Soccer League.
The following academies have been approved for OASL participation in 2018:
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