The Ontario Soccer Association, founded in 1901, is one of the oldest and largest sport organizations in Canada. It provides leadership and support for the advancement of soccer in collaboration and cooperation with its membership, partners, and other stakeholders by providing exceptional and sustainable programs and services. The Association is made up of 21 District Offices and several Associate Members, namely regional and provincial leagues. The District’s membership includes more than 600 Youth Clubs and Senior Clubs across Ontario. Ontario Soccer is a proud member of the Canadian Soccer Association and part of FIFA, the world governing body for soccer.
There are more than 600 soccer clubs in Ontario that range in size from a handful of members to more than 10,000. These clubs include professional, semi-professional, and amateur teams. The highest level of soccer for Ontario-based players is defined as a semi-professional league called League1 Ontario. It launched in 2014 and has expanded to include both male and female divisions. Below League1 Ontario is the Ontario Soccer League (OSL) for male players and for females the Ontario Women’s Soccer League (OWSL) exists. Both offer age divisions from U21 to Open Age players. Below the OSL and OWSL are five Regional Leagues serving U-14 to Open Age divisions that promote teams into the OSL and OWSL. They serve many Clubs, predominantly in Southern Ontario with a handful of teams in the north also competing. From west to east these Regional Leagues are: Western Region Soccer League, Golden Horseshoe Soccer League, East Region Soccer League.
The current President of the Ontario Soccer Association is Peter Augruso. He was elected as the 36th President and Chair of the Board of Directors in 2018 after sitting on the former OSA Board for five years. Peter recently retired as the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Labour for the Government of Ontario where he led the Ministry’s operations division of 1,000 staff. He has been a keynote speaker, and leader in Health and Safety and Employment standards fields for more than 30 years.
Ontario Soccer Association provides development opportunities for players, coaches, referees, and administrators. In 2006, there were 22,000 outdoor coaches and 3,700 indoor coaches under the Ontario Soccer Association. Ontario Soccer offers a variety of coaching courses and resources for all levels of coaches, from parents wanting to volunteer to soccer professionals wanting to advance their careers. They offer the Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education Program and the Canada Soccer Advanced Coach Education Program, which encompasses the Canada Soccer C Licence Program through the Canada Soccer Executive Leadership Program. Each program culminates in the granting of a Canada Soccer Coach Education Licence. Ontario Soccer also offers specific coach education courses such as the Ontario Soccer Goalkeeper Coach Certificate and Diploma Course and the Ontario Soccer Technical Directors’ Diploma Course.
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) both have their own coaching license programs. The USSF Coaching License Pathway consists of a series of courses designed to meet the specific needs of a coach at every step of the way. Similarly, the CSA offers the Canada Soccer Grassroots Coach Education Program and the Canada Soccer Advanced Coach Education Program, which encompasses the Canada Soccer C Licence Program through the Canada Soccer Executive Leadership Program.
One club that provides information about their soccer game tickets is Toronto FC. They offer single game tickets, memberships, premium sets, suites, and groups. You can find more information about their ticketing options on their website. Ticket prices for Toronto FC games vary depending on the game, location, seating options etc.