Major League Soccer club expands Satellite Youth Development Programs

Toronto Football Club announced today new affiliations with three more youth clubs in Ontario. These clubs will now be known as Kitchener TFC, Hamilton TFC and DeRo TFC. These clubs join London TFC, Ottawa TFC and Windsor TFC, all of which established affiliations with Toronto FC in the past several years. Toronto FC will work closely with these clubs on player identification and establishing a professional pathway for elite players within the respective clubs.

“We welcome both Kitchener and Hamilton to the TFC family as we continue to enhance our youth affiliations outside the GTA,” stated Toronto FC President Bill Manning. “And, of course collaborating with former TFC icon Dwayne DeRosario and his club in Durham is only natural as DeRo becomes the first TFC youth affiliate within the GTA.”

With this affiliation, Kitchener, Hamilton and DeRo TFC will receive technical and tactical direction, fitness guidance and other relevant assistance from members of the Toronto FC Academy staff. In addition, these partnerships will provide a direct pathway to TFC for high potential athletes from these clubs who aspire to become professional players.

“Toronto FC believes these partnerships will be beneficial to all involved,” said Toronto FC Academy Director Anthony Capotosto. “Providing a clear player pathway for the young athletes in Ontario is imperative to the success of our club.  We are looking forward to getting to work.”

The partnership will include development programs for players, with TFC coaches making multiple trips per year to the clubs to provide coaching instruction and technical training. Coaches from all three clubs will also make a number of trips per year to Toronto FC’s BMO Training Ground to observe and learn best practices from TFC’s staff.