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PROGRAM

Coaches

Shape the Player. Shape the Game. Shape the Future of Soccer in Alberta

The Technical Department at Alberta Soccer serves as the go-to resource for the soccer community in Alberta when it comes to coaching. With strong ties to Alberta’s Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (SPAR) program, Canada Soccer, member associations, and other partners, the department supports clubs, coaches, and players in becoming trained and licensed leaders within the community.

COACHING FRAMEWORK

Coaching is more than a role

The Albert Soccer Technical Department covers a variety of topics, from coach education, player pathways, club licensing, camp and academy sanctioning, to multi-sport games and sport development projects.

COACH EDUCATION

Coach education is the structured process of training, developing, and supporting individuals to become effective and knowledgeable sports coaches. It involves teaching the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to plan, deliver, and reflect on training sessions and match performances, while also promoting leadership, communication, and ethical behavior.

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COACH DEVELOPMENT

Coach development is the ongoing process of supporting coaches in their personal and professional growth beyond initial certification. While coach education typically refers to formal training and licensing (e.g., courses and diplomas), coach development focuses on continuous learning, practical experience, and reflective practice throughout a coach’s career.

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PLAYER PATHWAY PYRAMID

In Alberta, we believe that no two player journeys are the same. While we provide a structured ecosystem to support development from grassroots to high performance, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every player’s story is unique—and that’s exactly how it should be.

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CLUB LICENSING GUIDELINES

Club Licensing is a standards-based system developed by Canada Soccer and implemented in partnership with Alberta Soccer to enhance the delivery of soccer across the country. It is more than just a certification—it represents a commitment by clubs to meet and uphold the highest standards in governance, safety, programming, technical development, and administration.

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GET STARTED

The Coaching Pathway is inspired by Canada Soccer’s Long-Term Player Development plan and is guided by the Coaching Association of Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development model. Visit the Coaching Resources page to find essential information about coaching in Alberta, including where to begin if you’re a new coach.

SOCCER GRASSROOTS

Canada Soccer’s Grassroots Coach Education Program is the stepping stone for individuals making their first step into the world of coaching.

It comprises four workshops tailored to different ages and stages of long-term athlete development. Each stream is based on Stages 1, 2, 3, and 7 of the Long-Term Player Development Model.

The first three workshops, Active Start, FUNdamentals, and Learn to Train, primarily cover soccer training and the importance of physical literacy for players aged 2 to 12 years. The fourth workshop is called Soccer for Life and focuses on working with players aged 13 and older through to “masters soccer”. The Soccer for Life stage encompasses a diverse range of participants, including those who play for fun and fitness, those who enjoy recreational soccer, and those who prefer to play competitively but not at a high-performance level. 

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Advanced coach Education

The Advanced Coach Education Program is a traditional vertical pathway designed for the aspiring coach able to achieve higher performance standards.

  • Candidates must be 16 years of age and a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • For coaches wanting a more in-depth understanding of coaching methodology and the game of soccer.
  • Designed for active coaches of Learning to Train, Training to Train and Training to Compete players.
  • No community stream workshops need to be completed to register for the Canada Soccer C Licence/Diploma course.
  • Alberta Soccer delivers the Canada Soccer C Licence/Diploma & Futsal Diploma.
  • Canada Soccer delivers the Children’s Diploma, Youth Diploma, Youth – A Diploma, Pro Diploma, Goalkeeping Diploma, Technical Director Diploma, B Diploma and the A Diploma.

Please note coaches will have to wait a minimum of 6 months after becoming certified before they can participate in another Licensing Workshop.

AVAILABLE COURSES

FAQ

The Concacaf Coaching Convention is the agreement between Concacaf and its Member Associations which serves as a regulatory framework intended to standardize and raise the quality of coach education programs across the Concacaf region and its Member Associations.

The Concacaf Coaching Convention establishes the minimum requirements for Concacaf Member Associations, like Canada Soccer, to deliver their Coach Education Programs. By aligning the standards of our Coach Education Program to the requirements of the Coaching Convention, Canada Soccer’s Coach Education courses will be recognized by Concacaf across all Concacaf Member Associations. This means that once Canada Soccer is an approved member of the Concacaf Coaching Convention, a coach who possesses a current and valid Canada Soccer A Licence, for example, will be permitted to coach in any Concacaf Member Association where an A Licence is required.

The Canada Soccer Youth Licence was conceived in 2017, before the work to create the Concacaf Coaching Convention had begun. At that time, the Canada Soccer B Licence was targeted towards coaches working with senior amateur players, and the Youth Licence was created to meet the needs of coaches who were working with youth players.

The Concacaf Coaching Convention states that the B Licence is targeted towards coaches working with youth and senior amateur players. This effectively replaces the Canada Soccer Youth Licence. Rather than delivering two similar courses targeted towards the same coaches, the Youth Licence is being phased out and replaced by the new B Licence.

When a Canada Soccer Youth Licence is due to expire, the coach will go through a renewal upgrade process. Upon successful completion of this process, the coach will receive a Canada Soccer B Licence Diploma in place of the expired Canada Soccer Youth Licence.

No. Coaches who hold a current and valid Canada Soccer Youth Licence will still be able to use that Licence to coach in environments where it is required, such as standards-based youth leagues.

**Note** When a Licence expires, it is no longer considered current and valid and cannot be used to coach in a standards-based league.

To align to the requirements outlined in the Concacaf Coaching Convention, all Canada Soccer Advanced Coach Education Program courses are being updated in 2023.

In the short term, to provide clubs with maximum flexibility, coaches will be permitted to coach in standards-based youth leagues like the BCSPL, AYSL, OPDL and PLSJQ with a current and valid Canada Soccer Youth Licence or a current and valid Canada Soccer B Licence. When those Licences expire, the maintenance and renewal of both the Canada Soccer Youth Licence and B Licence will require an upgrade to transition those licences to the new B Licence recognized by the Concacaf Coaching Convention, which will become the requirement for coaching in a standards-based league.

No. All current and valid B Licences are currently recognized only in Canada. Once Canada Soccer is approved by Concacaf as a member of the Coaching Convention, all approved coaching Licences (C, B, A, Pro) granted by Canada Soccer after that date will be recognized across Concacaf.

When current and valid Canada Soccer B Licences expire, there will be a renewal upgrade process in place to ensure that renewed Licences meet the requirements of the Concacaf Coaching Convention.

The training delivered through the current Canada Soccer Youth Licence and B Licence was designed to prepare participants to coach youth players and senior amateur players respectively. With the new B Licence targeted towards coaches working with youth and senior amateur players, coaches who have completed both the Canada Soccer Youth Licence and B Licence will follow a different renewal process to receive the Concacaf-approved B Licence.

Not necessarily. Canada Soccer is working with Concacaf to ensure a seamless introduction to the Concacaf Coaching Convention. Circumstances like this will be treated on a case-by-case basis and may require coaches to complete additional modules to receive a B Licence Diploma.

Please contact Canada Soccer’s Coach Education Department by emailing Sarah Ouellette, Development Department Administrator at souellette@canadasoccer.com so that your case can be reviewed.

A Coaching Diploma is an award granted to someone who has successfully completed a coaching course. A Coaching Licence is a permit authorizing someone to coach within the Concacaf jurisdiction.

The implementation of the Canada Soccer Pro Diploma was delayed due to COVID-19 and is now scheduled to accept its inaugural class in the fall of 2023 for completion in 2024.

No. The current Youth Licence is being phased out and replaced by the new B Licence.

The Youth A Licence is a new course that will begin in 2024. The Youth A Licence will be targeted towards coaches working in full-time professional academy environments.

The pre-requisite Diploma, including the minimum duration the coach must hold the pre-requisite Diploma, for each course is as follows:

 

Diploma

Pre-Requisite Diploma

Minimum Duration Holding Prerequisite

C Diploma

Grassroots Coach Education Program (Active Start, Fundamentals, Learn to Train, Soccer for Life)

N/A

B Diploma

C Diploma

6 months

Youth A Diploma

B Diploma or Youth Licence (2019-2022)

12 months

A Diploma

B Diploma

12 months

Pro Diploma

A Diploma

12 months

 

Yes, the Grassroots Coaching Stream is aligned to the relative stages of development within the Long-Term Player Development model. This means that the program content reflects the players stage and age of development. Therefore, the requirement is that coaches should be trained within each stage(s) they wish to coach. Also, if a coach is supporting multiple stages of development, they should subsequently be trained within these stages to reflect the needs of the program and players. It should also be recognized that the Advanced Coaching Pathway provides training to a higher level of development and requires an evaluation. Coaches who have gained the C License and additional safe sport requirements are permitted to coach at all stages within the Grassroots Stream.

All team officials are required to undertake Respect in Sport, Making Ethical Decisions and complete a Police Clearance to reflect their role. All coaches (as indicated previously) are required to pursue coach training to reflect the stage of development they are supporting. This requirement applies to lead and assistant coaches.

Yes, coaches are required to undertake Respect in Sport and Making Ethical Decisions, as both programs relate safety aspects, to the sporting environment. These programs provide sport specific training for all personnel supporting players and programs within their environment and community.

All coaches and potential coaches are required to obtain and maintain their coach development training portfolio through the CAC (Coaching Association of Canada) Locker, a personal number may be obtained through the following link: https://thelocker.coach.ca/account/login?ReturnUrl=%2f

A police clearance must be updated every three years.

All Advanced coaching certificates are valid for a renewal period, based upon a three-year cycle, therefore any certificates obtained outside of three years must be renewed to maintain their licence. Information upon the renewal process may be found at https://www.canadasoccer.com/coach/maintenance-and-renewals/.

Coach Resources

Bringing Soccer to Every Corner of Alberta

Explore guides, standards, and toolkits designed to support players and their families.

C-Diploma Framework REVISED
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Futsal-Course
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Grassroots Futsal Course
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Learning Facilitator Co-Delivery - Template
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LF-Eval-Process
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Coach Education Pathway
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COACH EDUCATION

Key elements of coach education include:

  • Technical and Tactical Knowledge – Understanding the sport’s rules, skills, strategies, and game models.
  • Pedagogy and Methodology – Learning how to teach and communicate effectively with athletes of different ages and levels.
  • Holistic Development – Focusing on the physical, psychological, social, and emotional growth of athletes.
  • Safe Sport Practices – Promoting a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all participants.
  • Planning and Reflection – Learning how to design long- and short-term plans and assess coaching impact.

Coach education is delivered through formal certification programs (like Canada Soccer’s licensing pathway), mentorship, workshops, and ongoing professional development. High-quality coach education ensures that coaches are not only capable of improving athlete performance but also shaping positive experiences in sport—critical for athlete retention, community engagement, and the overall growth of the game.

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COACH DEVELOPMENT

The Coach Development process includes:

  • Mentorship – Learning from more experienced coaches through guidance, feedback, and shared experiences.
  • Applied Practice – Gaining hands-on experience in real coaching environments and learning from successes and challenges.
  • Self-Reflection – Regularly evaluating one’s coaching style, decisions, and impact on athletes.
  • Continuous Learning – Attending workshops, seminars, webinars, and conferences to stay updated on new trends, research, and methods.
  • Networking and Collaboration – Engaging with a community of coaches to exchange ideas and best practices.
  • Personal Growth – Developing leadership, communication, and management skills that enhance the coach’s ability to influence others positively.

In Alberta (and elsewhere), coach development is essential for raising coaching standards, retaining talented coaches, and ultimately improving athlete experiences and performance. It creates a culture of lifelong learning and helps ensure coaches remain adaptable, inclusive, and aligned with evolving sport demands.

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PLAYER ECOSYSTEM/PATHWAY

The Alberta Soccer player ecosystem includes a wide range of environments: community programs, club soccer, school teams, academies, post-secondary opportunities, provincial team programming, and even national or professional exposure. These options form a flexible system rather than a strict ladder. Within this ecosystem, players may move through different stages at various times, depending on their personal goals, needs, and readiness.

Think of the pathway as a living map, filled with springboards like tournaments, ID camps, and showcases that can open doors; ladders such as competitive leagues and development programs that foster growth; and occasionally, snakes—challenges or changes in direction that are all part of the journey. For some, progress may be swift; for others, it may involve pauses or reroutes. All paths are valid.

For parents, the most important role is to support your child’s love for the game, help them find the right environment to grow, and understand that success isn’t defined by a linear path. At Alberta Soccer, our goal is to create a supportive and inclusive ecosystem where players can explore their potential at their own pace—because every player’s journey is different, and every journey matters.

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CLUB LICENSING

The Club Licensing program aims to ensure that clubs create safe, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate environments for players, coaches, referees, and volunteers.

At its core, club licensing focuses on building stronger, more sustainable clubs that can support their members now and in the future. It establishes clear expectations and offers a roadmap for ongoing improvement, while also recognising and rewarding excellence.

In the past, the quality and structure of soccer clubs could vary greatly, leading to inconsistent experiences for players and families. The Club Licensing Program was established to address this, aiming to professionalize club operations, create consistent standards, and align clubs with the national Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) model. When a club commits to the licensing process, it agrees to meet standards in several key areas:

  • Governance & Leadership – Effective, ethical decision-making, transparency, and long-term planning.
  • Administration – Financial stability, organized registration systems, and responsible daily management.
  • Technical Development – Certified coaches, structured player development plans, and alignment with national coaching frameworks.
  • Safe Sport – Policies and training around harassment, equity, inclusion, concussions, and child protection.
  • Accessibility & Inclusion – Ensuring programs are open, welcoming, and supportive of participants from diverse backgrounds.

This creates better environments for everyone involved in the sport, especially players. A licensed club demonstrates its forward-thinking, well-managed, and commitment to the growth and well-being of its members.

Canada Soccer’s program offers multiple tiers to reflect the diversity of clubs across the country and allow for scalable progress:

  1. Quality Soccer Provider (QSP/SQS) – The entry-level designation and a minimum standard for clubs operating in Canada. It ensures safe sport policies, proper governance, and certified coaches.
  2. MA1 & MA2 – For clubs that go beyond the basics and show strong alignment with technical and operational best practices. These clubs often have enhanced player development models and more advanced structures.
  3. National Youth Club Licence – The highest level of recognition. Clubs at this level are expected to meet professional standards and play a leadership role in the development of players, coaches, and the broader soccer system in Canada.

Clubs can progress through the levels over time, and Alberta Soccer supports this growth through resources, education, and review processes.

For parents and players, a club’s licensing status is an important indicator of quality and commitment. It means the club:

  • Provides safe and inclusive environments
  • Employs certified and trained coaches
  • Follows clear development philosophies aligned with national standards
  • Has policies in place for concussion management, Safe Sport, and equity
  • Offers transparent communication and responsible governance

Most importantly, club licensing ensures that your child is part of a club connected to a provincial and national development system, creating better opportunities for growth, performance, and long-term involvement in the sport. Club Licensing is about more than just ticking checkboxes. It’s about elevating the standards of soccer in Alberta—from grassroots to high performance.

As more clubs adopt the licensing process, we move toward a more unified, consistent, and sustainable soccer landscape, where every participant can thrive. By supporting and celebrating licensed clubs, Alberta Soccer invests in a future where every player, regardless of level, has access to a quality experience and where clubs have the foundation to grow and lead.