FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

The Brampton Lions of The Canadian Soccer League and The Dixie Soccer Club are proud to announce a formal structured affiliation agreement. The purpose of this affiliation is to create a full cycle development program and playing opportunities for both Clubs and their members. Both Clubs will work together and support each other through numerous innovative initiatives and programs to enhance player development and to create a broader profile of both entities in the soccer community and leverage the synergies and resources of the two Clubs. The over all goal is to create a development system and program that will allow players to develop to their full potential with the goal of being able to place players in some of the highest levels of soccer.

    The Canadian Soccer League (CSL) is Canada’s only professional league and is a continuation of earlier leagues, the National Soccer League (NSL), the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL) and the Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL), going back more than 80 years.

   The Dixie Soccer Club is the oldest club in Mississauga being founded in 1968. It is one of the most successful youth Clubs in the Province with numerous Ontario Cups and National Championships to its credit.

    Brampton will continue to operate the First Division Team. Dixie will enter its current U21 team into the CSL Second Division on behalf of Brampton. The Second Division team will be called the Brampton-Dixie Lions. The Second Division Team will be used as a feeder and development team for the First Division team and provide an opportunity to work with and develop a greater number of players. Dixie will also have a U21 team in The Ontario Soccer League. This team will be used as a feeder and development team for the Second Division Team.

    

    

 The Lions First Division team will continue to be coached by Armando Costa who will also continue as Director of Soccer Operations for The Lions. Armando’s credentials both as a player and coach span over forty years and are extremely impressive. Armando will lend considerable mentorship, tutelage and support to Dixie’s coaches raising the already high coaching standards Dixie is known for.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dixie and Brampton will organize and run summer soccer camps starting July 20^th and running through to August 21^st. The camps will be 1 week each in duration and run Mondays to Fridays from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Training will be under the direction of Armando Costa with many First Division players providing support. Another major development initiative will be the start of a “Soccer School of Excellence” which will provide a complete structured development program for serious soccer players. These are only a few of the initiatives that are planned to allow players to develop to their maximum potential.

   

Both Clubs realize that with a pioneer project like this there are bound to be some bumps on the road ahead. Dixie and Brampton are and will be working closely with all the governing bodies of soccer such as the OSA, CSA, PHSA, OSL and the CSL just to name a few. The goal goes beyond the long term player development of just the two Clubs but the entire region. As Armando Costa puts it “just imagine if the initiative was to be followed by all the other clubs, then we could be talking about the master plan of player development that Canada needs, in my opinion this is the model to follow, if both Youth and League clubs share the vision”. The Clubs are hoping that this affiliation fosters in a new era and spirit of working together collectively as a soccer community.

It truly is time to break down the barriers and hurdles between Clubs, Leagues, and Associations, and understand we are all collectively the soccer community and need to work together as a community.         

 

  

 

 

 

 

For further information please contact:

 

 Lino Almeida President of Dixie Soccer Club at 905-896-1579 or at linoalmeida@rogers.com

 

 Phil Ionadi Director of Business Operations for the Brampton Lions FC

at 416-564-6120 or pionadi@bramptonlionsfc.ca