Canada Soccer’s Grassroots Standards have been designed to foster the best possible learning and development environment for all young players in Canada. The Grassroots Standards are based on global best practices while also reflecting the realities of Canadian soccer. It is our responsibility to ensure that all of our children are able to play soccer in a safe, fun, accessible, inclusive and developmentally appropriate environment.

Canada Soccer recommends a “workshop” approach to training. Players move from one skill-building activity to another at regular intervals. The amount of time spent on each activity varies depending on the age of the player. Each training session is organized around four or five activity workshops. Putting these four “pillars” of training into practice in each session will help develop well-rounded young players with a foundation of physical literacy, strong soccer skills, and ideally, a lifelong love of the game. Players are monitored on the field by our technical team and are evaluated on criteria that encompass all aspects of the player.