Canada Soccer National Development Centres

The Canada Soccer National Development Centre and Canada Soccer EXCEL programs are full-time women's soccer development programs run by the Canadian Soccer Association in partnership with the various provincial associations to develop Canadian women's soccer players as part of the Canadian women's soccer pathway.[1][2] There are three National Development Centres in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia and Regional EXCEL programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.[3]

Canada Soccer National Development Centre
LeagueLeague1 Ontario
League1 British Columbia
Première ligue de soccer du Québec
WebsiteClub website

The three National Development Centres enter teams in Canada's tier 3 women's leagues: League1 Ontario, League1 British Columbia, and the Première ligue de soccer du Québec.

NDC Ontario
NDC Ontario
Full nameNational Development Centre Ontario
StadiumOntario Soccer Centre
Vaughan, Ontario
Capacity2,000
Head coachJoey Lombardi
LeagueLeague1 Ontario
2023League, 1st
Playoffs, Finalists

The Canadian Soccer Association partnered with the Ontario Soccer Association, Own the Podium, Sport Canada, the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, and Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham Ontario, to launch its Regional EXCEL (REX) program in January 2018. The REX Super Centres provide top youth female players with a centralized, daily training program to develop their skills for players from U14 to U18 as part of Canada Soccer's Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) program.[4]

In 2022, it was announced that the NDC Ontario program would join and enter a team in the League1 Ontario women's division.[5] Their debut match occurred on May 22, finishing in a 1–1 draw against the Woodbridge Strikers.[6][7] After finishing in second place in the regular season standings,[8] NDC were crowned champions after defeating Alliance United FC in the playoff final in their debut season.[9][10] In their second season, they won the Ron Smale Cup after finishing in first in regular-season standings, but fell in the playoff championship final to Alliance United in extra time.[11]

Seasons
Season League Teams Record Rank Playoffs Inter-provincial Championship Ref
2022 League1 Ontario 20 14–4–1 2nd Champions withdrew
2023 19 14–3–1 1st Finalists did not qualify

NDC British Columbia (Whitecaps Academy REX)
Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy
Full nameVancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Academy
StadiumKen Woods Field
Vancouver, British Columbia
Head coachKatie Collar
LeagueLeague1 British Columbia
2023League, 1st
Playoffs, Champions

In 2015, the Canadian Soccer Association partnered with the BC Soccer Association and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC to launch its regional EXCEL program which will be run as part of the Whitecaps FC Academy.[12]

In 2021, it was announced that the program would join the semi-professional League1 British Columbia as a founding franchise for the 2022 season.[3][13] Their home games will take place at Ken Woods Field at the National Soccer Development Centre.[14] They played their debut match on May 22, defeating the Victoria Highlanders 5-1.[15]

During the 2022 regular season, the Whitecaps managed to finish second in the regular season standings and qualified for the Championship final, despite many of their university age players having to depart the team before the end of the season, leaving them with a roster composed of 14-17 year old players.[16][17] In the Championship Final, the Whitecaps Girls defeated Varsity FC to win the inaugural women's League1 British Columbia title.[18] In May 2023, the team participated in the 2023 Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup, winning the title.[19] In the 2023 L1BC season, they won the league double, capturing the regular season title and the playoff championship, advancing to the Women's Interprovincial Championship.[20]




Seasons
Season League Teams Record Rank Playoffs National / Other Ref
2022 League1 British Columbia 7 8–1–3 2nd Champions did not qualify [21]
2023 8 11–1–2 1st Champions Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup Champions [21]
Inter-provincial Championship Champions

PEF Québec
PEF Québec
Full nameProgramme Excel Féminin de Soccer Québec
StadiumCentre Sportif Bois-de-Boulogne
Laval, Québec
LeagueLigue1 Québec
2023Champions

In 2021, the Canadian Soccer Association in partnership with Soccer Québec set up the Programme EXCEL féminin in Québec.[22]

In 2022, it was announced that they would field a team in the Première ligue de soccer du Québec women's division beginning in the 2022 season.[23] In May 2023, the CF Montréal Academy took over the technical component of the PEF program, as part of the launch of their women's academy program, with the PEF teams to now wear the CF Montreal badge on their jerseys.[24] In 2023, they won the league and cup double and qualified for the League1 Canada Inter-Provincial Cup.[25][26]

Seasons
Season League Teams Record Rank League Cup Inter-provincial Championship Ref
2022 Première ligue de soccer du Québec 12 4–2–5 7th did not qualify did not qualify [27]
2023 Ligue1 Québec 12 8–2–1 Champions Champions Runner-up [28]

References
  1. "Canada Soccer Women's EXCEL Program: Technical Overview" (PDF). Canadian Soccer Association.
  2. "Women's EXCEL Program: A Guide for Players and their Parents" (PDF). Canadian Soccer Association.
  3. "Canada Soccer Announces 2022 Club Competitions for National Development Centres". Canadian Soccer Association.
  4. "Ontario Regional Excel Super Centre". Ontario Soccer Association.
  5. "Canada Soccer's National Development Centre-Ontario To Join L1O Women's Premier Division for 2022 Season". League1 Ontario. March 4, 2022.
  6. Bates, Matt (May 22, 2022). "L1O Weekend Preview". League1 Ontario.
  7. Bates, Matt (May 26, 2022). "The Weekly Rewind". League1 Ontario.
  8. "Women's Premier Division Playoffs: Final Preview". League1 Ontario. August 4, 2022.
  9. Cheng, Jonathan (August 7, 2022). "NDC Ontario cap off dream season with victory in Women's Premier Division Final". League1 Ontario.
  10. "A Bluffer's Guide on NDC Ontario". League1 Ontario. December 1, 2022.
  11. Cheng, Jonathan (August 6, 2023). "Alliance United win Women's Premier Division title in extra-time". League1 Ontario.
  12. "Girls' Elite Academy". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  13. "League1BC welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps as a founding License Holder". League1 British Columbia. October 22, 2021.
  14. McColl, Michael (May 10, 2022). "The Grounds of League1 BC: Ken Woods Field, UBC, Vancouver – Home of Vancouver Whitecaps U19 and Girls Elite". Away from the Numbers.
  15. Fossey, Maxim (May 22, 2022). "League1 BC: Women get the win, men earn a draw". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  16. Fossey, Maxim (July 22, 2022). "League1 BC: 'Caps clinch a spot in the final!". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  17. "'Caps excited for League1 BC final: "We saw what the young players were capable of"". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. July 29, 2022.
  18. Fossey, Maxim (August 1, 2022). "Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite crowned League1 BC Finals champions!". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  19. "Comeback Queens! A look back at the five trophies Whitecaps FC Girls Elite have won in the last year". Vancouver Whitecaps FC. August 8, 2023.
  20. Mahmoudi, Nelson (August 6, 2023). "Cap-Italizing The Moment: Whitecaps Academies Claim Double L1BC Title". Northern Tribune.
  21. "League1 British Columbia Women Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
  22. Dugas, Michel (October 5, 2021). "Début du nouveau programme EXCEL féminin (PEF) de Soccer Québec" [Start of Soccer Québec's New Women's EXCEL Program (PEF)]. Soccer Quebec (in French). Archived from the original on January 18, 2022.
  23. "Le PEF intègre la PLSQ Féminine" [The PEF Integrates into the Feminine PLSQ]. PLSQ (in French). February 11, 2022.
  24. "BMO et le CF Montréal lancent un programme féminin à l'Académie du Club" [BMO and CF Montreal launch a women's program at the Club's Academy]. CF Montréal (in French). May 31, 2023.
  25. O’Neill, Paméla (July 20, 2023). "Le PEF remporte le championnat féminin de Ligue1 Québec" [The PEF wins the Ligue1 Québec women's championship]. Ligue1 Quebec (in French).
  26. "Les joueuses du PEF vainqueures de la Coupe Ligue1 Québec 2023" [PEF players winners of the Coupe Ligue1 Québec 2023]. CF Montréal (in French). August 6, 2023.
  27. "Première Ligue de Soccer du Québec Feminin". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
  28. "Ligue1 Quebec Women". Canadian Soccer History Archives.
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