Ontario Soccer’s Player Development Program has announced that four new organizations have received licenses to join the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) for 2020 and 2021.   

After a comprehensive review process over the last eight months, the Board of Directors of Ontario Soccer recently approved the final list of applicant organizations.

Sigma FC, Rush Canada, Kingston United SC and FC Durham join the current 25 license holders made up of Clubs and Academies from around Ontario which support the advancement of athletes along the province’s Talented Pathway.

OPDL represents young players' early graduation to a genuine high performance training environment, targeting the top athletes in the province with what is the highest level of youth competitive soccer in Ontario. Unlike other leagues, the OPDL operates more as a high performance training program than merely a league.

“This is an exciting time for the OPDL. With the additional four new license holders, we are expanding the footprint of the OPDL across the province and we’re adding organizations with a reputation for developing elite-level players and coaches,” said Johnny Misley, Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Soccer. “These additions will strengthen our high performance program and provide another step for athletes, coaches and now even, match officials along the Talented Pathway.”

Kingston United SC is an organization with a proven record of implementing Long Term Player Development principles and providing quality technical programming for youth players. Their acceptance into OPDL, provides players in the South East Region of Ontario with a direct avenue into Ontario’s player development system.