TALENTED PATHWAY

OPDL

The Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) Is the province of Ontario’s first standards-based, youth high-performance leagues that combines top level competition with performance training standards.
The OPDL is one piece of a larger, transformative process that Ontario Soccer is undergoing to modernize soccer in Ontario. This innovative youth high-performance program is an important component of the Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) pathway, across soccer, in Ontario and Canada.
LTPD helps talented youth players, who have the ability and dedication to train at higher levels, develop into top players with a strategic training philosophy in mind.
Launched in 2014 with the 2001 age group, this innovative exciting youth high performance program is an important component of the overall movement to adopt the core principles of Long-Term Player Development (LTPD) across soccer at large in Ontario and Canada. OPDL encompasses the U13 to U17 age categories, for both males and females.
OPDL represents young players’ early graduation to a genuine high performance training environment, targeting the top athletes in the province from age groups U13 to U17, constituting the highest level of competitive youth soccer in Ontario. 
Paying | Markham Soccer Club

WALK-ONS ARE NOT PERMITTED FOR ANY OPDL PROGRAM

OPDL TRIAL PHASES

  • Phase I – Players outside the Talented Player Pathway only
    • Objective: Identify players outside OPDL environments
    • Activity: Open Trials and Invitation Only Trials
    • Period: September 3rd to October 21st, 2024
  • Phase II – Players within the Talented Player Pathway
    • Objective: Select Full-Time Players
    • Activity: Open Trials and Invitation Only Trials
    • Period: October 22nd to February 4th, 2025
  • Phase III – Any Player
    • Objective: Identify players inside & outside OPDL environments for remaining spots
    • Activity: Open Trials and Invitation Only Trials
    • Period: February 5th to April 5th, 2025

OPEN TRIALS

An open trial is open to players who desire an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to participate within an OPDL Licence Holder and is of the appropriate age for registration and gender for the team’s designation.

  • OPDL Players are eligible to participate in Trials during Phase II and III

INVITATION ONLY TRIALS

  • After conducting open trials, invitation only trials can occur at any time in accordance with the stipulated timelines.
  • An invitation only trial involves the interested OPDL Licence Holder contacting and asking for only specific players to return for further trials.
  • No player shall undertake more than one invitation-only trial at a time.
  • A player may attend a new invitation only trial once an existing invitation-only trial has been completed.

A player may attend a different invitation-only trial, once the organizers of the existing trial have been informed, in writing, that the player wishes to terminate that trial.

If you have signed a commitment letter with another OPDL license holder for the 2025 season, you are not eligible for trials.

Players (boys or girls) born in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 seeking trials with the Markham City FC programs for the upcoming season are to use the link below to complete the Player Information Form (formal request to trial with Markham City FC).

Players not on a current OPDL commitment letter will be scheduled for trials soon after submitting the form. 

NOTE: Player's currently registered to an OPDL club with a commitment letter for 2024 cannot trial until October 22, 2024; and subsequently will be informed of trial date information starting the week of October 7th, 2024.

LINK TO REQUEST OPDL INVITATIONAL TRIALS:  PLAYER INFORMATION FORM

Ontario Soccer

The Talented Pathway was created to provide opportunities for the top players in the province to develop and advance. The basis for the program is the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) launched in 2014 at the U13 level. In each successive year, OPDL will add an age group. The standard licensing cycle for organizations wishing to operate an OPDL program is every two years. The OPDL is the primary avenue within the Talented Pathway model for players to be detected into future Provincial Screening Competitions which can then lead to Provincial Team opportunities. For those players who are not competing within the OPDL, they may enter into the Player Talented Pathway via Talent on Location Days by following the Player Recommendation Process outlined below.
Visit Ontario Soccer
Soccer life pathway | Markham Soccer Club
Soccer | Markham Soccer Club

Ontario Player Development League

Launched in 2014 with the 2001 age group, the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) is one of the province's first standards-based, youth high performance league that combines top level competition with strict high performance training standards. This innovative exciting youth high performance program is an important component of the overall movement to adopt the core principles of Long Term Player Development (LTPD) across soccer at large in Ontario and Canada. OPDL encompasses the U13 to U17 age categories, for both males and females.
Visit Ontario Soccer OPDL