The British Columbia Soccer Association (BC Soccer) offers between three and 11 scholarships a year to grade 12 students going on to university. Students who are enrolled in a university but under the age of 19, as of January 1st of the year of application, may also apply. Applicants must have played for a team affiliated with the association for at least three years. At the time of application, the candidate must also be either playing for a team, coaching a team, or refereeing for BC Soccer. Other criteria include having a "B"-grade average and being someone who displays leadership and community service skills. Applications are due on March 31 each year and must include a filled-in application form, a school transcript, and three reference letters (from the school principal, from a soccer official of the applicant's regional league, and from a personal source). The application must be approved by the candidate's league president or chairperson before being sent to BC Soccer.
British Columbia Soccer Association
375 Water St. Suite 510
Vancouver, BC V6B 5C6
604-299-6401
bcsoccer.net
Every year the Mount Pearl Soccer Association in Newfoundland awards five scholarships valued at either $100 or $350. Each award was established to commemorate past soccer players and members of the soccer community. For example, the Sam Pretty Award is named after a man who played for the Holly Cross of St. John's senior league for twenty years in the 40s and 50s. He was inducted into the Newfoundland Sport Hall of Fame and is known as one of the province's best defenders of all time. Interested candidates can send in an application form to the Mount Pearl Soccer Association. They grant awards to both level I (grade 10) students and high school graduates and consider applicants who have good academic standing and have exhibited sportsmanship while playing for a team in Mount Pearl.
Mount Pearl Soccer Association
P.O. Box 295
Mount Pearl, NL A1N 2C3
709-364-9793
mpsa.ca
A 13-year-old member of the Toronto Lynx Premier Soccer Academy, Nathan Mesher, founded the Coach's Scholarship Award. As of 2010, a total of $5,000, donated from corporate sponsorships, was awarded to soccer players to go toward membership fees with the academy and transportation costs to soccer tournaments. The Toronto Lynx Academy awards the scholarships to players who show promise to go far in soccer. To play with the Toronto Lynx, a yearly fee is over $2,500, but it comes with many rewards. Players practice two or three times a week all year and compete at national and international level tournaments. Teams range from under 14 to under 20 age groups. The academy takes their oldest teams to showcase tournaments, and more than 100 of their players have been scouted by universities and awarded scholarships.
Toronto Lynx Premier Soccer Academy
Duncan Wilde
14 Marine Dr. Suite 2040
Oakville, Ontario L6L 1B4
[email protected]
torontolynxpremiersoccer.com