OSA ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SEASON OPDL MEMBERS
18 Organizations to Take the Pitch in 2014


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VAUGHAN, ON (September 25, 2013)  -- -- The Ontario Soccer Association named the member organizations in the inaugural 2014 Ontario Player Development League season during a launch event at the Soccer Centre today. These 18 license holders were selected for a two-year period.  In 2014, teams will take to the pitch in the U13 age group. The OPDL will add the U14 age group in 2015, and will continue to add an age group in each successive year.

“We are thrilled to welcome these organizations into the OPDL,” OSA President Ron Smale said. “Through the application process, they have shown commitment to true high performance player development and a desire to be part of a larger movement, led by the Canadian Soccer Association, to support our elite athletes.”

The OPDL members for the inaugural 2014 season are as follows:
 
Aurora Youth Soccer Club
Burlington Youth Soccer Club
Forest City London
Glen Shields Futbol Club
Hamilton United Elite Soccer Club
Kleinburg Nobleton Soccer Club
Markham Soccer Club
Nepean Hotspurs Soccer Club
North Toronto Soccer Club
Ottawa Fury Soccer Club
Ottawa South United Soccer Club
Richmond Hill Soccer Club
Toronto FC Academy
Unionville Milliken Soccer Club
Vaughan Soccer Club
West Ottawa Soccer Club
Whitby Iroquois Soccer Club
Woodbridge Soccer Club

“The OPDL is another important step in the ongoing implementation of Long Term Player Development,” OSA Chief Technical Officer Alex Chiet said. “By creating a standards based league, we are able to focus on the holistic needs of the high performance player. The members of this league share that aligned vision and commitment. The OSA is here to support these organizations in delivering the best opportunities possible to our top provincial players in the hopes that many players will progress to represent Canada on the world stage.”

Programs were evaluated by the OPDL Assessment and Selection Committee on standards based criteria, including technical and organizational capabilities.

“The OPDL selection process enabled us to identify organizations which will excel at delivering high performance opportunities for our best athletes,” OSA Executive Director Lisa Beatty said. “Additionally, we remain committed to working with all of our members to further evolve their programs to continue to expand OPDL in future years.”

While player selection and training will begin shortly, the OPDL competitive season kicks off in April 2014 and will run until November.

CONTACT:

Stephanie J. Geosits
Director, Marketing & Communications
sgeosits@soccer.on.ca
Ph: 905 264 9390, x275
C: 647 228 7667
www.ontariosoccer.net
@OSA_Tweeter