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Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program

Overview

The Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program is a guide for organizational development both on and off the field. As a customized program for the unique Canadian landscape, it is designed to take high standards to best principles. The program will enhance the participants' environment and experience, and contribute to improving the overall soccer system in this country. 

If you are interested in learning more about the Canada Soccer Licensing Program, to achieve one of the four award levels, simply Connect and Collaborate and Complete your application!

The Application Process (AP) infographic is meant to assist you in understanding the process from start to finish, you can find the AP below. The Eligibility Quiz (EQ) is meant to assist you in determining your eligibility for the various levels within the program, you can find the EQ below. Ultimately, the Club / Organization will decide which level they want to apply for but this useful tool will assist you in that process. 

In order to express your interest, complete the online form and submit your Letter of Intent, before doing so though, communicate with your District Organization and obtain a Member in Good Standing letter. You do not need to contact us if you received confirmation that your Letter of Intent has been submitted. Once we receive your interest to apply, we will be in direct contact with you. There will be an initial communication (via Skype Meetings) to review the process, timelines and general information. 

Canada Soccer's Club Licensing Program is made up of four categories developed to be an inclusive, principles-based approach to overall systems improvement across the country.

For professional clubs, the Canada Soccer National Club Licence is granted to organizations who meet the minimum requirements set by Canada Soccer in partnership with FIFA and Concacaf as determined to meet the standards to play in international competition such as the Concacaf Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup™.

For youth clubs in Canada there are four levels:

Click on any of the four above listed program titles to see the detailed criteria associated with the level they represent.

Application Process

Express Your Interest by Completing a Letter of Intent to Apply!

If your Organization is interested in applying for the Canada Soccer Club Licensing Program, CONNECT with us by completing a Letter of Intent. 

As part of your application process, your Organization will need to download the template version of the Letter of Good Standing and submit as part of the requirement. Scroll down for the download link below.

Ask!

Does your organization know about Club Licensing? Does your organization support and commit to moving forward? Where does your organization fit in?

Listen!

Visit us online for information on webinars, podcasts, informational meetings, and informational guides. Join us for one of our many community presentations! All details are listed on this page, scroll down to find out more. 

Learn!

Become familiar with the categories and their criteria, to determine what is best and most attainable for your organization. Not sure what level is most appropriate for your Organization? Stay tuned for an Eligibility Quiz (EQ) that will assist you in determining the level of which is most appropriate for your Organization at this time.

The EQ is available now! Click on the smart link to download your PDF copy, print and determine the most appropriate level for your Club / Organization now!

Plan 

Who will be working on the application? What are the roles and responsibilities of each member of the application committee? Work out touch points with your governing organization.

Prepare

Know all of your applicable deadlines and gather the documentation required for your application submissions.

Review

Check it over, and don’t hesitate to contact Ontario Soccer throughout the process for assistance.

Complete & Send

Finalize and submit your application to Ontario Soccer!

Contact Us

Have questions about the Club Licensing Program? Contact Gabriella Trichilo via email at gtrichilo@ontariosoccer.net or Ext. 809.

Information Bulletins Released

Information Bulletin I2019-042 Shared on September 9, 2019

Information Bulletin I2019-018 Shared on March 15, 2019

Information Bulletin I2019-012 Shared on February 28, 2019

Information Bulletin I2019-006 Shared on January 31, 2019

Information Bulletin I2018-057 Shared on November 9, 2018

Information Bulletin I2018-041 Shared on August 31, 2018

Application Portal WizeHive

For all applicants who submitted their Letter of Intent via the JotForm link and uploaded or sent their Letter of Good Standing (Not-for-profits only, not applicable to academies); an email with a link to the application portal will be sent out to the email address provided upon expressing your interest to apply. Please check your inbox / junk / spam folder for an email with this application link. 

Follow the instructions on how to create a profile and review the portal / platform, becoming very familiar with it prior to the submission deadline.

 

 

Timelines

Please note that timelines for the National Youth Club License applications differ from those that are outlined below. The following timelines apply to the those Member Organizations interested in making submissions for the Provincial Youth Club License, Level 2 or Level 1 and / or the Quality Soccer Provider Level License. 

September - November 

  • Accepting JotForm Letters of Intent as per I2019-042 Info Bulletin
  • First Point of Contact with 2020 Applicants
  • Second Point of Contact with 2020 Applicants, share specific information on application portal (WizeHive), Scorecard and Action Plan
  • Connect: Initial Orientation Meeting with Applicants (Optional)

November - January

  • Collaborate: Application Review with Applicants (Optional)
  • Complete: Applications Completed and Submitted Online
  • Post-Submission Meeting with Applicants (Optional)
  • Post-Assessment Meeting with Applicants
  • Scorecard Delivery to Applicants and Action Plan Return within 14 days
  • Application Decision, Collect Club License Agreements, Preparation for Announcement at the Ontario Soccer Summit

Community Presentations

To more easily cater to those who want to hear a presentation with general information on Club Licensing, we have shared a YouTube recording (above) of the presentation that was delivered to Club in 2019. Those meetings were held and hosted by the following organizations in 2019:

Hamilton District Soccer Association, March 27, 2019, 7:00pm

Simcoe Region, March 26, 2019, 7:00pm

Durham Region Soccer Association, March 21, 2019, 7:00pm

Eastern Ontario District Soccer Association, March 20, 2019, 7:00pm 

Peel Halton Soccer Association, March 20, 2019, 7:00pm

Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association, March 13, 2019, 6:30pm

South West Soccer Association, March 6, 2019, 7:00pm

Toronto Soccer Association, February 28, 2019, 7:00pm

Brams United Girls Soccer Club, February 20, 2019, 7:00pm

Durham Region Soccer Association, February 14, 2019, 11:00am

North York Soccer Association, February 3, 2019, 11:00am

Oshawa Kicks Soccer Club, February 2, 2019, 11:00am

Barrie Soccer Club, January 23, 2019, 7:00pm

Canada Soccer Club Licensing Reference Material, Useful Links, Forms and FAQ's

General

  • See 2020 Scorecard and Action Plan Template 

Information & Definitions

  • Strategy: a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim
  • Plan: a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something
  • Operational Plan: a highly detailed plan that provides a clear picture of how an organization will contribute toward achieving pre-set goals; Mapping out the day-to-day tasks required to run an organization - the what, the who, the when, and how much.

Technical & Sporting

Administration & Financial

Infrastructure

Governance

2020 Scorecard and Action Plan

As you complete your Club Licensing Application, each level has elements you will need to plan and prepare for. For example, sending the Club coaches on the Child or Youth License. As you come across these criteria, you will need to add it to your Action Plan if you have not already been able to complete that criteria / item in your application. Here's a blank template for an Action Plan that covers high-level detail for each level and category and criteria. A copy of your completed Action Plan will need to be uploaded with your application submission. 

Letter of Commitment

On your Organization's Letterhead, identify the criteria and program application name and level. Insert the date and the individual responsible for this commitment as well as a second should that individual leave the Organization. Provide a reference and link to the documentation your Organization currently utilizes and the suggested documentation to adopt and adhere to going forward. Since this is an Actionable Item, set a date to accomplish by and add the goal, objective and deadline to your Action Plan. In your commitment letter, state the review period for the Organization to revisit and ensure the document is up to date. Save the draft with a date in the footer to assist in determining the most recent copy. 

Internally, set a plan and start the process to review your documentation and improve on them. While templates / existing documentation can be easy to adopt as your own because it is a quick and a effective way to fill a documentation gap the fact is they still need to be rigorously assessed prior to acceptance.

We have defined these seven simple steps to ensure your Club not only understands the template being adopted but that it is endorsed fully.

  1. Identify a gap in the Clubs documentation
  2. Select a template that will effectively fill that gap
  3. Present it to the Club Board for discussion. At this time a Board member may be aware of existing documentation that can be used or that simply needs updating
  4. Agree on a revised format that either;
    1. Adopt the new template in its entirety
    2. Uses a hybrid of both new and old
    3. Maintain the old document
  5. Format the template so that all blanks are filled in identifying the appropriate title (Club, Board Position etc.) and pertinent dates. It is good practice to identify in one corner of the document the exact date it was adopted.
  6. Include the Club logo (this is your Club document)
  7. Present to the Board for final approval at the next meeting.
  8. Make the announcement (if beneficial) on the Club website, to ensure your membership is aware of the addition.

Gabriella Trichilo

Regional Manager, Player Development

Phone: 905-264-9390 ext. 809

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