EDMONTON, AB – Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Edmonton Minor Soccer Association (EMSA) announced on Friday the establishment of a player development partnership through 2026.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome EMSA into our Whitecaps FC family,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “We know that there is great talent in Edmonton. By working together, it will only benefit the youth throughout the region on their path to achieving their goals.”
The Whitecaps FC Edmonton BMO Academy Centre provides local talent a pathway to professional soccer, scholarships, and Canadian national teams. Players selected to the professional club environment in Vancouver enter the full-time, fully funded Whitecaps FC Boys MLS Academy and the Girls Elite Academy, a Canada Soccer National Development Centre (NDC).
There has been a long history of players from Edmonton in the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System, highlighted by Canadian men’s national team and Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies. Numerous players from Edmonton have also come through Whitecaps FC BMO Academy programs and earned collegiate scholarships, including players such as MAC Hermann trophy winner Gloire Amanda at Oregon State University and Tanya Boychuk who starred as an All-American at the University of Memphis and with Canada’s U20 women’s national team.
"The Edmonton Minor Soccer Association is excited to be able to give our players an opportunity to not only develop their skills but also showcase the amazing talent our players have”, said Mario Charpentier EMSA’s president. “The player and coaching pathway to College, University and beyond is now supported by a top professional soccer organization in Canada. We look forward to a fruitful relationship with Whitecaps FC for many years to come."
Local Whitecaps FC programs include Development Academies, Prospects Academies, ‘Caps to College programs, and Camps & Clinics. Programs will be offered for players aged U9 to U18. Players in the Whitecaps FC Prospects Academy and the ‘Caps to College program may get the opportunity to also participate in the Whitecaps Academy Showcase in Vancouver.
