OTTAWA – Throughout its history, Ottawa Fury FC has established an extensive range of community programs to help build the sport of soccer throughout its regional base.

On Friday, the USL Championship club unveiled its latest initiative, which aims to support the development of local soccer in the Ottawa-Gatineau region. The program, named Soccer For Everyone, will provide support to players, teams and clubs in the community by increasing growth opportunities through play, talent identification, learning and teaching resources as well as access to professional facilities.

“Since its early days as a professional club, Fury FC has served as a beacon and guide for the development of soccer in the nation’s capital,” said Fury FC General Manager Julian de Guzman. “We wanted to reconnect with our grassroots community, support the growth of our local soccer organizations and strengthen the network that would allow our mission of showcasing Canadian soccer to flourish.

“In working with players and coaches of all abilities and ambitions, our new Club Affiliation Program will ensure Fury FC and its affiliated clubs can deliver soccer for everyone in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.”

The program, designed to grow through the years, will work with community clubs, independent academies and local soccer organization through three main pillars: sport development and community support; access to professional soccer; and brand and marketing enhancement. Coming the day after the signing of local 18-year-old standout Jadon Vilfort, the potential for the program to impact young local players was at the forefront of Fury FC’s planning for the new initiative. 

“It was really important for us to provide clubs with a customized program that was rooted in needs our local soccer community had expressed as part of our consultation with clubs,” said Audra Sherman, manager of Fury FC’s development programs. “With this flexible model, there is truly Soccer For Everyone.”

A dozen community clubs and local soccer organizations have already confirmed their participation in the Ottawa Fury FC Club Affiliation Program for 2019: Almonte Soccer Club, Académie de soccer de l’école secondaire publique Louis Riel, ASG Gatineau, KBFC Pro Soccer Academy, Kemptville Soccer Club, Rockland United Soccer Club, Russel Soccer Club, West Carleton Soccer Club, and the Ottawa International Soccer Club Women’s Program.  

Club leaders interested in learning more about the new initiative can visit FuryInTraining.com for more information.