World Soccer Academy

World Soccer Academy (WSA) Winnipeg provides a unique opportunity for soccer players ages 8-16 to experience the very highest level of soccer instruction and coaching. The experienced coaching staff bring years of professional soccer experience to the young dedicated soccer player. Young players with the commitment and determination to bring their skill to a new level will benefit from this experience.

Our year round program provides continuity of training, fitness, skills and mental preparation. The program repeats three times each week to allow players to attend the most convenient session. The program includes a complete series of specific skill improvement programs designed through drills to reinforce each new skill.

In addition to the year round program, the Academy offers a series of summer soccer camp for boys and girls ages 8-16. The camps run all summer long and are one week in duration. All aspects of the game are covered in a comprehensive program, that combines skill improvement and fun. Teams are encouraged to attend as a group to provide tactical instruction for the entire team.

The fees that are charged are designed to make these programs available to everyone, thanks to the help of our sponsors. The number of hours per program, along with the low player-to-coach ratio, make these programs very cost effective at less than $10 per hour session. Our Academy program is designed for the budding soccer star while our elite program is geared for the elite athlete and is by invitation only.

Soccer in Canada

Soccer has always been the undisputed heavyweight of sports. It is without question, the one sport played by all people on Earth. A televised game between two countries can bring hundreds of millions in viewers. Despite its popularity in the world, however, soccer has traditionally been of marginal interest in North America. This trend has been dramatically reversed during the last twelve years. Soccer has become the fastest growing sport in Canada. Since 1992, soccer registrations have climbed nationally from approximately 280,000, to almost 730,000 in 2000. Soccer registrations were up 3.78% last year over 1999. It should be noted that in 2000, hockey registration in Canada was recorded at 505, 789, while soccer had just under 730,000 registrations. Soccer registrations will no doubt continue to climb as more and more people are attracted by its affordability, lack of violence, and accessibility. The increase in soccer registrations in Manitoba has also been dramatic. Since 1992, soccer registrations in Manitoba have climbed from just over 10,000, to 18,456 in 2000. As well, Manitoba exceeds the national average in terms of female involvement, with over 42% of registered players in Manitoba being female. Statistics such as these demonstrate that soccer is well on its way to becoming the number one sport of Canadians.

The State of Elite Soccer

Despite the significant advances made in soccer in Canada, elite soccer lags behind. Reasons for this are many; no professional league, a lack of quality coaching, lack of funding, a system where adult teams are culturally based and not inclusive, and finally, a structure designed to encourage recreational play, but not competitive play. One of the biggest problems in the development of elite soccer is that much of the soccer apparatus is focused on recreational and non-competitive play. While this has served to excite and involve young people in the sport of soccer, it has also served to frustrate those who have taken this interest to heart and wish to pursue it in a more serious manner. According to the Manitoba Youth Soccer Association. “The most developmental stage in a soccer player’s life is from the age of 5 to 12 years”. Despite this statement, the system does not currently allow for the maximum development of those individuals whose talent and/or desire makes them want to train for “the next step”. This frustration was recently noted when the St. Boniface/St. Vital Soccer Association turned down a community request for a city-wide competitive league for 12 year old girls. This resulted in frustrated players and their families forming three teams of their own in order to pursue their developmental dreams.

The Academy Solution

The development modules are based on FIFA team standards and the small sided game structure that is used by European Professional soccer clubs. Each training module has a specific theme and includes 4 weeks training. The low ratio of players to coaches enables players to receive regular and accurate feedback on how to improve their play. In addition, players receive handout information illustrating drills that they can perform away from the Academy to continually improve their skill levels. A written evaluation is provided at the end of each module. The World soccer academy provides all this for a cost of less than $10 per training hour! Our Academy program is designed for the budding soccer star while our elite program is geared for the elite athlete and is by invitation only.

The World Soccer Academy provides specialized and expert training in three main areas: