Dedicated Player Program

“The Dedicated Player Program targets organizations that believe in the best principles of player development and support the approach being promoted by Canada Soccer in this manual but may not have the capacity to deliver against the Skill Center standards. A Dedicated Player Program operates in the same way as a Skill Center. A robust network of Dedicated Player Programs across Canada will ensure more young players have a positive developmental environment, enhancing the opportunity to fulfill their potential and support long-term participation.

The traditional model of team selection in Canadian youth soccer revolves around choosing a select number of players at a specific moment in time based on their current performance level, then having them compete against other teams to determine who is better. Unfortunately, this method of talent identification and development is flawed in several ways:

• It does not accurately predict potential or future performance.
• It can often turn away players who might have high potential but who are simply inexperienced at that moment relative to their peer group.
• Early selection prior to physical maturation implies early exclusion of the majority and can discourage players who might otherwise have become as good, or better, a little later if given the chance to develop.
• The characteristics that define “talented” athletes in early age are not the characteristics that define elite athletes later in their career

Unfortunately, this approach only serves to identify players who are advanced in relation to their peers at that specific moment in time, rather than identify players who have potential to develop into a proficient player if given the opportunity. This is exacerbated by the fact that the selection-based approach alienates a significant percentage of our player base and pushes kids away from the game.

Dedicated Player Programs will address these challenges by taking a holistic, player centered approach to player registration. Rather than basing registration on performance — usually assessed over a short period of time or via a “tryout” process — Skill Center and Dedicated Player Programs registration will be done via two methods: invitation and open registration.

Invitation — Clubs may invite players to register for a place in their Skill Center or Dedicated Player Program. This allows Clubs to offer a place in the program to players whom they feel would benefit from the opportunity and experience. Tryouts are not permitted in a Skill Center or Dedicated Player Program, and no more than 50% of the places in the Skill Center or Dedicated Player Program can be offered via invitation.

Open Registration — At least 50% of the places in a Skill Center Program must be available via open registration. This provides players who are keen to learn the game with an opportunity to register for a place in the Skill Center or Dedicated Player Program

Dedicated Player Program will address these challenges by taking a holistic, player centered approach to player registration. Rather than basing registration on performance — usually assessed over a short period of time or via a “tryout” process — Skill Center and Dedicated Player Programs registration will be done via two methods: invitation and open registration.”

Dedicated Player Program is ideally suited for the Corner Brook Minor Soccer Association. We have the personnel to start this program immediately with our Technical Director nearing completion of the Children’s License and with 7 C License coaches (5 are working towards completion) and numerous Learn to Train coaches. 

Our current program mirrors this program very closely but by following the “Dedicated Player Guidelines” it will provide an enhancement of our program and of the clubs in the Western Region.

Our plan is to start the Dedicated Player Program in the Summer of 2022.

[1] Canada Soccer Skill Center Model and Dedicated Player Program