The First of its Kind: BC Soccer hosts Canada Soccer's First Boys and Girls Regional Excel Integration Camp
BC Soccer is honoured to work alongside Canada Soccer to launch the first boys and girls joint Regional Excel (REX) Program. Previously, all REX programs Nation-wide only accommodated one of the boys or the girls, never both.
Through this collaboration between BC Soccer and Canada Soccer, we were able to forge new ground and host an event that stood on development, allyship and equity.
"The goal of these Regional Excel Integration camps is to give players and staff a snapshot of the standards and demands of a Youth National Team environment. From the intensity on the field to the professionalism around the camp, it helps everyone understand what it takes to compete at the international level. BC Soccer did an excellent job creating a high-quality environment for the players, and we’re already looking forward to building on this experience at next year’s edition.” ~ Mike Vitulano, Canada Soccer's Men’s Regional Excel Director
The purpose of Canada Soccer’s REX program is to develop players to a National Excel environment. Over three action-packed days, players were put through three training sessions, a mental performance meeting, film analysis, and a match.
"This was a fantastic opportunity for players and coaches to come together, learn and collaborate. Events like this are an important part of the player pathway, bringing Vancouver Rise FC, BC Soccer and Canada Soccer together while giving players a chance to develop and gain valuable exposure" ~ Tina Cook, Vancouver Rise FC, U16 Head Coach Academy
For the Girl's, their camp came to an end with a match against the Vancouver Rise Academy. It was a hard fought match but the Rise were more clinical on the day and came out with a 3-0 win. For the Boy's, they were victorious 2-1 over the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy.
"I want to extend a special thank you to BC Soccer for their hard work in bringing this event together. It was a genuine pleasure to work alongside such a committed and dedicated staff, and to witness the players' growth throughout the week. Experiences like this, are vital to the development of both our coaches and players" ~ Cindy Tye, Canada Soccer's U-20 Head Coach
“Events like this are extremely valuable from a scouting and talent identification perspective. Bringing together top players from different clubs and environments raises the level of competition and allows us to better identify and evaluate talent across BC, while ensuring the most ready players are provided opportunities within our professional academy environment. We are proud to be part of the strong collaboration within the soccer community in BC, all working together to support players and contribute to the development of the next generation of Canadian talent. We are also very grateful to BC Soccer and Canada Soccer for their continued support and collaboration.” ~Paul Thompson, Manager, VWFC Academy Talent Identification
As the first joint REX Integration Camp in Canada, the result seems to be a positive one. To the players, coaches, and the match officials involved, this week of training was considered a resounding success.
Canada Soccer plans to have these joint REX Camps implemented Nation-wide to ensure everyone is given the proper resources for development and that Soccer in Canada continues to grow.
