Temporaily Unavailable
The Player Development Program was temporarily paused in 2020 during province-wide covid restrictions. At this time, this program is not being offered.
Play at Home
Player Development Program
A regional training program for all players living east of Toronto. A strong focus on skills development starting at U11/U13 with the goal to develop Tier 1 Teams at the U15, U17 & U19 age groups. And to put players on the path to high performance opportunities in softball.
Participation in the development program and partner services are open to all players living in the east. However, team rosters positions are limited and competitive.
Softball Canada ADM
All players will be enrolled in an off-season regional softball skills camp where they will be introduced to age appropriate skills per Softball Canada's Athlete Development Matrix.
Regional Practices
Rostered players will develop their skills in-depth during team practices. And learn more advanced techniques as determined by their team's coach. Teams will practice multiple times per week.
Competitive Play
Teams U15 to U19 will be competing in Tier 1, with the U13 team playing in U15 league/tournaments, in Ontario. The U15 & U17 teams will also participate in US tournaments.
Student Athlete Academy
All players will be automatically enrolled in the SAA's Roadmap to Athletic Scholarships program. This provides them guidance, tools and advice as they move through the program from U13 to U19.
Skills Development
Highly experienced instructors introduce fundamental skills starting with at the U13 Development Team. A strong foundation in needed to learn advanced skills as they progress through the program. The end goal is to ensure players perform their best at U15-U17, when Team Ontario, Team Canada and Scholarship opportunities arise.
Tier 1 Teams in Ontario
All the associations in the region are collaborating to develop regional Tier 1 opportunities for players. The goal is to roster one Tier 1 Team per year at the U15, U17 and U19 ages by 2026. Kicking-off this effort is the launch of our U13 Development team September 7-14th, 2022. These teams will provide quality, stable, long-term opportunities locally for players living east of Toronto. Live at home, play at home!
United States Tournaments
Our U15 and U17 teams will play two US Tournaments annually. This exposes players to the level of play in the US to evaluate if they want to pursue NCAA opportunities. Our scholarship advisor will support individual players in connecting with coaches in the US to maximize potential recruiting opportunities.
Team Ontario & Team Canada
Navigating the provincial and national opportunities available to players can be challenging and time consuming. We will ensure players are aware of all opportunities available to them, and that their skills development path will empower them to perform their best when the time comes.
Our Play at Home Player Development Program follows Softball Canada's Athlete Development Matrix guidelines.
US & Canada Scholarships
Families will be educated on academic and athletic scholarship opportunities in Canada and the United States. Our Scholarship Advisor will give all players a head start guide on planning for university or college starting at U13. Additional tools and resources will be provided at U15/U17 as the student-athlete actively seeks a scholarship offer.
Services by Tessa Thomas, former NCAA-D1 Softball Player and Founder of the Student Athlete Academy.
Your chance for an awesome experience
Enroll in the Player Development Program today!