VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Tuesday a partnership with Sarnia FC as part of the club’s Southern Ontario Academy Centre program.
This partnership will be the club’s second academy centre in Southern Ontario, joining the London Youth Whitecaps program in partnership with the Elgin Middlesex Soccer Association (EMSA) which was launched in July of 2015.
“Part of our club mandate is to grow the game of soccer across Canada and provide development opportunities at all levels,” said Whitecaps FC president Bob Lenarduzzi. “With that goal in mind, we’re very excited to partner with such a strong community organization as Sarnia FC. We look forward to working with Sarnia FC players and coaches to further enhance the technical support and program services that are already in place.”
Sarnia FC are a member of the Lambton-Kent Soccer Association and provide boys and girls in the area with the opportunity to learn, play, and enjoy the game of soccer at the level of their ability. The club are home to approximately 1,300 registered soccer players in the summer season, and 400 players in indoor soccer and futsal during the winter season. For more information, visit sarniafc.ca.
"Sarnia FC are thrilled to join the Whitecaps FC Academy Centre network," said Sarnia FC president Dr. Tom Lacroix. "This partnership will benefit all of our players and coaches from our boys and girls recreational, competitive, and academy programs, while providing the strongest players access to elite training and scholarship support."
Whitecaps FC and Sarnia FC will work together to develop an academy program that will benefit all Sarnia FC players. Players in the Sarnia program will receive visits from Whitecaps FC Southern Ontario and Vancouver based staff for further training and evaluation. Players will also have the opportunity to be selected for additional programs. Program details will be determined in the near future with an expected launch in spring of 2017.
Whitecaps FC Academy Centres are a network of regional training hubs linked through key staff, curriculum, and standards that provide professional supplemental club training for serious, motivated players. Whitecaps FC are home to academy centre programs in eight of 10 provinces across Canada. Regional programs in BC include Vancouver, Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, Kamloops, the Kootenays, and Northern BC. Whitecaps FC are proud to support founding provincial partners BC Soccer, while working together on academy centre programs with the Alberta Soccer Association, Saskatchewan Soccer Association, Manitoba Soccer Association, Soccer Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador Soccer Association, and the Prince Edward Island Soccer Association – with additional Ontario locations in London and Ottawa.
For more information on Whitecaps FC Academy Centre programs, visit whitecapsfc.com/academy.
