VFC Youth Page

The power of sport to realize the potential of young people inspires our work. We believe soccer is not yet being maximized for its ability to create belonging, holistic health, meaningful and lasting social connections and transformative growth opportunities. That is, the best of soccer isn’t yet accessible to all young people in Canada.

The reasons why soccer is not where it could be here are many and complex. And, we recognize that we are just one part of a vast sporting ecosystem. So, we need to spend more time learning about the root issues before we commit to solutions.

We intend to match our unique strengths as a pro soccer club with the primary needs facing young people in our region, on and off-field. We will collaborate with local soccer clubs and relevant community organizations to ensure that we focus on the most pressing matters, such as safe sport, mental health, crime reduction or anti-racism education. Of course, we are well-positioned and motivated to bridge pathways between amateur and professional sport by supporting talent development. But, we want to do so much more to use our platform in support of youth. We envision having the most sustainable impact as capacity builders and partners, supplementing the good work that community experts are already doing.

There will be more announcements on our specific youth initiatives in the coming months. We invite you to follow along.