Canada Soccer today confirmed the dates and host location for the inaugural Player Development Program Championship announced last December. The championship will take place August 13-18, 2024 at the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex in Edmonton, Alberta.

“Canada Soccer would like to thank the Alberta Soccer Association and local partners for hosting our first PDP Championship,” he said. Dave Nutt, interim director of development at Canada Soccer. “Edmonton has a tremendous history of hospitality and the Bill Gilhespy Soccer Complex will be an exceptional venue for this event and the players who will participate.”​

The PDP Championship is organized as a team event focused on individual and team performance on the field, education and relationship development off the field. This will include match analysis, player identification and scouting opportunities through Canada Soccer’s EXCEL program.

The following standards-based programs are recognized as part of the PDP network:

• Alberta Youth Soccer League (AYSL)
• British Columbia Premier Soccer League (BCSPL)
• Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) ​
• First Youth Soccer League of Quebec (PLSJQ)

The PDP Championships will be divided into two age categories (U15 and U17) for boys and girls and each participating member association will be allocated two places per competition. The PDP championships will be played in a two-pool round-robin format with ranking crossover (1v1, 2v2, 3v3, 4v4) to determine placement.​

Information regarding the Player Development Program championship schedule will be provided in the coming months.

About the Player Development Program ​
​The Canada Soccer PDP is a network of standards-based programs that represent the highest level of amateur youth soccer in Canada. Participating organizations (clubs and academies) must hold the National Youth Club License, the highest category of recognition for amateur youth clubs within the Club Licensing Program and meet any additional program requirements based on Standards.

By introducing club-level standards – all of which draw on player development best practices from the world’s leading nations – Canada Soccer aims to help and support clubs to better focus their efforts on creating the best environment possible for the development of players and coaches. .