MARKHAM FC LIGHTNING
competitive soccer
the competitive segment of markham
The Markham Lightning FC program is the competitive segment of the club that serves players from the under 7 age group for both male and female, through to Open Age for adult competitive. The competitive teams train at Markham facilities both indoor and outdoor and play in matches and tournaments representing the Markham Soccer Club against other clubs.
Players wishing to join our competitive program are assessed by the team or group head coaches and our technical leaders during regular training sessions or at open assessment dates for specific age groups.
COMPETITIVE PROGRAM INFORMATION
U7 BOYS & GIRLS (BORN IN 2018)
Players in the U7 category (born in 2018) selected for the program will train once per week during the winter academy program dates (late Oct. 24 to end April 2025). They will also be registered to participate in our U7 Boys or U8 Girls indoor recreational league from October to April for the winter segment of the program.
For the outdoor segment of the program, players will train twice per week from May to early September and will participate in outdoor festival competitions on designated Saturdays at various facilities in York Region. Typically, teams will play two matches against other club teams on those festival dates.
U8 BOYS & GIRLS (BORN IN 2017)
Players in the U8 category (born in 2018) selected for the program will train twice per week during the winter academy program dates (late Oct. 24 to end April 2025). They will also be registered to participate in the York Region Soccer League indoor league with approximately 16 games throughout the program dates.
For the outdoor segment of the program, players will train twice per week from May to early September and will participate in outdoor festival competitions on designated Saturdays at various facilities in York Region. Typically, teams will play two matches against other club teams on those festival dates.
U9 - U12 BOYS & GIRLS (BORN IN 2016 TO 2013)
Players from U9 to U12 are part of the Grassroots program and participate in the York Region Soccer League for both winter and summer.
They will train 2-3 times per week throughout the program dates from late October 2024 through to early October 2025 and will participate in the York Region Soccer League indoor league (16-18 games) and the York Region Soccer League outdoor on designated game days (approx. 14 - 18 games).
U13+ BOYS & GIRLS (BORN IN 2012 TO 2005)
At age 13, players will be segmented into the elite development stream (OPDL & League 1) or the Soccer 4 Life (Regional/District leagues) competitive stream based on a series of factors.
The training curriculum is developed by our paid Technical Leadership staff under the guidelines of the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and Ontario Soccer's Long Term Player Development (LTPD) philosophy.
The Lightning FC competitive program operates for two sessions - Winter Academy (mid-October to early March) and the Summer Program (mid-March to September).
Players will typically train 2-3 times per week and play one match against other clubs' teams each week during the summer season. In the Winter Academy program, our grassroots competitive teams (U8-U12) will play once per week in indoor leagues as well as train 2-3 times per week.
Our U8 competitive program is involved in weekend (Saturday) festivals during the summer (eight two-game festivals) and will play in a 14-game season in winter and will train twice per week.
Teams in the Soccer 4 Life stream at U13 and older will train once per week and play once per week in summer and will participate in league play or exhibition games over the winter.
All group head coach coaches are paid by the club and are expected to continue their professional development by attending ongoing training to achieve age-appropriate certification as coaches.
All team officials must meet club and provincial-body standards, including Vulnerable Sector Screening (every 3 years).
annual cost
The fees include both the indoor and outdoor component of our programming and include most of the fees normally associated with the operation of the squad throughout the season, including:
League/Referee Fees
Registration Costs
Facility Rentals
Coach/Technical Staff Cost
Training Kits
Uniforms
Equipment
