BFA Soccer SKILLS Centre

U9 to U17

Soccer SKILLS Centre Introduction

Every person involved in soccer in Canada deserves an enjoyable soccer training experience, regardless of the role they play, their age, their level of experience or their ability. For young soccer players, an enjoyable experience means that they have access to high-quality programs where they can do training with their friends, learn new skills and play the game in an appropriate format. Clubs play an important role in this, as they are the primary providers of the soccer training programs where young players experience the game in Canada.

Canada Soccer has created the Skill Centre Program to guide clubs towards best principles in player development by taking a nationally coordinated approach to developing young soccer players. Skill Centres provide a challenging, enjoyable environment for players to develop and nurture the skills required to succeed in the game of soccer.

training & SkillS Centre Goals

  1. Keep players involved in the game for longer by providing an enjoyable experience
  2. Guidelines that ensure delivery of the best possible training environment
  3. Develop players by increasing opportunity and access to better training and competition

training & skillS Centre Principles

To ensure that a holistic development environment exists for players and coaches, Canada Soccer Skill Centres will be guided by the following principles:

  • High contact time with a ball
  • Game-Based training
  • Fun for everyone
  • Accessible for all
  • Meaningful feedback provided

training & skillS Centre Program Outline

  • Curriculum in line with Canada Soccer Skill Centre Standards
  • 41 Training & Competition weeks
  • Futsal Program
  • NLPT Strength & Conditioning Program
  • Game Understanding Workshops
  • Goalkeeper Training
  • Training & Competition Kit/Uniform Package
  • Certified BFA Staff Coaches
  • Ontario Soccer Player Registration Fees

Total Events : 103

October - December

9 Weeks Duration

  • Training session locations – SCHOOL GYMS
  • 1x Training sessions per week (SSG incorporated into sessions
  • 45 mins training session duration
  • NOTE: Session times - Tuesday 6-7pm

January - April

14 Weeks Duration

  • Training session locations – SCHOOL GYMS
  • 1x Training sessions per week (SSG incorporated into sessions
  • 45 mins training session duration
  • NOTE: Session times - Tuesday 6-7pm

May - August

18 Weeks Duration

  • Training session locations – SCHOOL GYMS
  • 1x Training sessions per week (SSG incorporated into sessions
  • 45 mins training session duration
  • NOTE: Session times - Tuesday 6-7pm

Why training & Skill Centres

To change the method of player development!

The traditional Canadian youth soccer model of talent identification Via team selection chooses several players based on their current performance level at a specific moment in time.

This selection-based approach alienates a significant percentage of players and push kids away from the game, rather than giving the opportunity to all players that might have potential to develop.

What Youth Soccer Clubs Cannot Do?

  • Cannot accurately predict potential or future performance
  • Cannot turn away players who might have potential just because they are inexperienced now
  • Cannot facilitate early selection prior to physical maturation excluding or discouraging players
  • Cannot define “talent” in younger ages because the characteristics are not the same as those in mature elite athletes

What we can do is… develop all athletes!

BFA training & Skill Centre Philosophy

The BFA Training & Skills Centre Program intends to create a philosophy where all our players will experience a Development Environment, within a Player-centric and a Skill-Based improvement approach.

At BFA our aim in the Grassroots stages is:

  • Develop the players throughout a 6-Corner Development Framework
  • Deliver the best Age-appropriate Curriculum and well-designed learning environments
  • Increase players readiness to access high-performance training standards or to continue to pursuit greater achievement in any source of competitive level

We also believe:

  1. That players should solve game-situational problems on their own.
  2. We must use training strategies that challenge the players to make-decisions based on cognitive and understanding stimuli.
  3. That effective skills are acquired within game environments.
  4. That is important to assure high number of actions per practice.
  5. To teach simple game principles and basic attacking/defending roles.

In our philosophy we specifically promote the following Training Principles:

  • Ball Rolling Time: high contact with the ball increasing the number of actions
  • Training is Playing: practices are like games introducing five components – ball, cooperation, opposition, direction, and target
  • Training is Fun: all practices are enjoyable and engaging for everyone
  • Safe & Supportive Environment: practices always provide encouragement and safety

Below is what we call the BFA Skill Centre Roadmap briefly describing the way we apply our coaching process within our Grassroots Program, highlighting our Footprints, how we shape the player’s character, mindset, and body within the three Stages of Development between U8 and the U12 groups.

BFA training & SkillS Centre Methodology

At BFA Training & Skill Centre Program we want to be able to see beyond short term and embrace bigger and long-term results for young players development.

Our Methodology is based on applying an Age-based Curriculum with the focus on the introduction of Themes, Topics, Learning Outcomes and Skillsets to help players to better play and understand the soccer game, regardless the format they are required to play. This Age-appropriate curriculum is presented with contents in the two main Game Moments (Attacking and Defending) and distributed into three phases in each of these moments (for the Age Groups of U10 to U12 that play 7v7 and 9v9 game format):

  • Phases 1: Building-up vs Pressing Zone.
  • Phases 2: Creating Chances vs Avoiding Chances.
  • Phases 3: Finishing Opportunities & Block Finishing.

And for the Age Groups of U8 and U9 that play 4v4 or 5v5 game format:

  • Phases 1: With ball in own midfield vs Without the ball in opponent midfield
  • Phases 2: With ball in opponent midfield vs Without ball in own midfield

Also, in BFA Skill Centre Methodology we offer a Holistic approach to develop players in the Tactical, Technical, Physical, Psychological, Social and Emotional Domains. Also is our focus to improve the players’ Individual technical actions, Individual tactical actions, Elementary collective actions, and Complex collective actions.

Within our training we deliver the W.O.L.I. and TGfU (Teaching Games for Understanding) methodologies and use the Guided Discovery, Trial & Error, Question & Answer and Observation & Feedback as the Teaching Methods.

In addition, within our Year-Program we have Three (3) Blocks for a period of 43 weeks where the Age-Curriculum contents are provided in the following cycles-system:

  • The Fall Block or Learning Period I, also known as Introduction Cycle, when game contents of Attacking and Defending are introduced alternatively from week to week for the 1st time to arise players’ awareness.
  • The Winter Block or Learning Period II, also known as Reinforcement Cycle, when game contents of each specific phase are applied consistently within a window of 3 or 4 weeks to reinforce the players’ learning process.
  • The Summer Block or Learning Period III, also known as Refinement Cycle, when the Game contents are delivered for the 3rd time in order to refine them and assure skill acquisition. In same week two direct opposite phases or two to three phases of same moment are trained together.

Besides all this, we include a Physical Literacy Program, a Small-Sided Game training method, a Strength & Conditioning Program, Goalkeeper Training and Futsal Program, among other activities and experiences. In our Methodology we also have Open Rosters where our focus is on Individual Player Development.

Lastly, within our Methodology we obey to Canada Soccer LTPD Principles of each Grassroots Development Stages (Fundamentals and Learn to Train, from U8 to U12).

training & Skill Centre FAQs

BFA will adhere to all directives set forth by the City of Toronto/Vaughan Municipality, Ontario Soccer and Canada Soccer understanding that the health and safety of all BFA families are our number one priority

There are 3 Training Blocks

  • Block #1: October to December (9-week duration)
  • Block #2: January to April (14-week duration)
  • Block #3: May to August (18-week duration)

BFA will utilize an “Open” roster with practices and games therefore players can and will certainly practice/play with players with different birth years using an age/stage approach understanding and respecting the developmental needs of players is BFA number-one priority.

Yes – BFA is willing to work with individual families to accommodate schedules to ensure. Families can contact CRSB to inform/discuss challenges.

Skill Centre Led Coaches – Carlo Rivas (Boys) & Carlos Rivas & Elisa Paolucci (Girls)

No – BFA has created payments over a 7-month period to allow families the opportunity to space program payments for an extended period. Should families require different payment structures please contact Belinda Paolucci to discuss options that may be available understanding all communication will be strictly confidential

Should events be affected by Covid19, the club will look to provide partial refunds that will be Pro-Rated from the time of program cancellation.

Yes. Please contact us to discuss your family’s situation should you not be able to commit to all 3 blocks

Yes. the u11-u12 players play in an Indoor Soccer Leagues during the winter (Phase 1 and 2). u8/u9/u10 age groups will play exhibition matches against other local clubs. During Phase 3 all Skill Centre players participate in the York Region Soccer League.