Canada Soccer launches Adaptive Play section on Club+ to help clubs welcome players of all abilities
New free resources, developed with Saskatchewan Soccer and Soccability Canada, give community clubs, coaches and volunteers practical tools to start or strengthen adaptive soccer programs
Canada Soccer today launched Adaptive Play, a new section on Club+ that helps community clubs create welcoming soccer experiences for players of all abilities. Whether a club is adapting an existing program or building a dedicated adaptive opportunity, the section offers practical guidance, coaching strategies, program models and resources to remove barriers and support meaningful participation.
At the centre of the section is the new Canada Soccer Adaptive Soccer Program Guide, developed in partnership with Saskatchewan Soccer and Soccability Canada. The Guide is built around one principle: start with the athlete, stay with the athlete, finish with the athlete.
A significant opportunity for Canadian soccer
One in four people in Canada lives with a disability. Yet 37% of children with disabilities have never participated in organized sport or activity, 70% do not take part in team sports, and only 16% meet basic physical activity guidelines.
Often, it is not disability itself that prevents participation, but the barriers around the player: a space that isn’t accessible, information that is hard to understand, a registration process that doesn’t accommodate different needs, or assumptions about what someone can do. Many clubs want to offer more opportunities for players with disabilities but aren’t sure where to begin. Adaptive Play is designed to help them take that first step.
What clubs will find in Adaptive Play
The section walks clubs through the common challenges of getting started — coach confidence, removing barriers, connecting with families and building sustainable programs — and pairs each with practical solutions. Resources include:
- Adaptive Soccer Program Guide — the starting point for creating or strengthening a program, covering program models, planning, first experiences, coaching and community connections.
- STEP Framework — a simple tool showing how small changes to Space, Task, Equipment and People can make any activity more accessible.
- Adaptive Activities and Games — fun soccer activities with tips on adapting each one for players of different abilities and needs.
- Quick Language Guide — a reference for using respectful, inclusive language about disability and adaptive soccer.
- Sample Session Plan — a model adaptive session, from warm-up through skill development, games and cool-down.
- Coach education and training — links to Canada Soccer and Soccability Canada’s Adapted Play eLearning, Coaching Association of Canada resources, Canadian Tire Jumpstart’s Coaching Kids of All Abilities, Sport for Life training and Soccability Canada workshops.
- Pathways and global resources — information on Canada Soccer’s Blind Soccer and Para Soccer National Team pathways, PowerChair Soccer, and the FIFA Disability Football Toolkit.
The section also features a club spotlight on Regina FC, sharing how the club has built its adaptive program, along with a short video introducing adaptive soccer. All content is available in English and French.
“Soccer belongs to everyone, and our community clubs are where that promise becomes real. So many clubs want to welcome players with disabilities but aren’t sure where to start. Adaptive Play shows them they don’t need every answer before they begin. It also outlines a range of program models and formats, helping each club decide what will work best for its players and its community.”
Sara McConaghy, Director of Community Development at Canada Soccer
"Soccer Is Everyone’s Game! and everyone deserves the opportunity to play. This resource provides practical information and strategies to help ensure athletes of all abilities have a place in our community soccer programs. Adaptive Play offers actionable steps to introduce and integrate adaptive soccer, empowering clubs, coaches, and communities to create more inclusive opportunities for everyone to enjoy the beautiful game."
Jen Wood, IDEA Coordinator at Saskatchewan Soccer Association
“Soccability Canada is excited to see the further development of resources for accessible soccer across the country. We are really happy to see such positive collaboration across the soccer landscape and know that this will benefit many players and families who will see barriers removed, opportunities created and a new audience fall in love with the beautiful game.”
Matt Greenwood, Director at Soccability Canada
Access Adaptive Play on Club+
Adaptive Play joins a growing set of Club+ sections, including Grassroots Coaching Resources, Parent Engagement, the Marketing Toolkit, Soccer in Schools and New to Canada Supports. Club+ is free for community clubs across Canada. Clubs not yet enrolled can learn more and register at clubplus.canadasoccer.com.
About Club+
Club+ is Canada Soccer’s free national platform for community clubs, offering tools, templates, training and resources that help volunteer-run and growing clubs strengthen operations, support coaches and families, and grow the game in their communities.
Sara McConaghy