Game On, a low-barrier community soccer program built to turn FIFA World Cup 2026™ excitement into lasting participation, has wrapped its first season with more than 500 new registered players across 13 clubs in Nova Scotia and Québec.
The pilot project put children with no experience playing organized soccer first. With little to no cost for families, no experience required, and a time commitment of just four to six weeks, there was minimal barrier to entry. The simple promise: “Six Weeks. Low Cost. No Experience Needed”, gave families an accessible way to turn their interest in soccer into time on the pitch. Game On gave clubs a ready-to-run program including coach session plans, an equipment kit, marketing assets and registration support. Sessions for players aged 7 to 12 were built on Canada Soccer’s FUNdamentals and Learn to Train frameworks, with fun first and no tryouts.
“When a major tournament inspires a child to play, the system has to be ready with an easy way in. Game On showed that when the national, provincial and club levels line up behind one simple, low-cost program, families say yes. More than 500 kids who had never played organized soccer are now part of the game, and that is just the start. Our goal is simple: get every kid playing soccer.”
\u200b
\u200b- Sara McConaghy, Director of Community & Sport Inclusion, Canada Soccer
The success of this pilot stems from all levels of soccer organization pulling in the same direction. Canada Soccer provided the national framework and coaching curriculum. Soccer Nova Scotia and Soccer Québec recruited clubs, supported registration and delivered equipment. Community clubs welcomed new families on the field.
Targeted marketing helped connect the program with families. Soccer Nova Scotia’s digital campaign reached nearly 190,000 people leading to 344 completed registrations. Messaging tied to real World Cup moments, including Canada match days and Nova Scotia’s own Jacob Shaffelburg, helped turn excitement into opportunities to play.
“Game On showed what is possible when national and provincial organizations work together to support clubs delivering soccer in their communities. By keeping costs low and making it easy to join, we welcomed many new faces to soccer across Nova Scotia. This pilot gives us a strong foundation to build on together, helping more children discover the game and making it easier for clubs to welcome them.” \u200b
\u200b
\u200b- Marisa Colzie, Manager of Club Licensing, Soccer Nova Scotia
"Soccer Québec believes that every child should have the opportunity to discover soccer in a welcoming and accessible environment. Game On demonstrates that by working together, national and provincial governing bodies and clubs can eliminate many barriers to participation and enable new families to have a positive first experience with our sport”
\u200b
\u200b- Catherine Levasseur, Assistant Executive Director, Soccer Québec
Canada Soccer thanks the Canadian Olympic Committee \u200b for supporting the development of Game On. This collaboration made it possible to test models for converting inspiration to registration in Nova Scotia and Québec. This work advances the COC’s Team Canada 2035 goal of 1 million more youth participating in organized sport.
The next chapter is already taking shape. With excitement building for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™, Canada Soccer will bring a new edition of Game On to clubs in 2027. Clubs interested in taking part should watch for details early in the new year.
The first season of Game On showed what a shared effort can achieve: accessible opportunities for families, practical support for clubs and more children discovering soccer.
", "header": { "large": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/e8e3c250-e96c-4dc6-9566-b652cb6f31ec/-/preview/1200x1200/-/format/auto/", "release": "https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/e8e3c250-e96c-4dc6-9566-b652cb6f31ec/-/preview/1200x1200/-/format/auto/" }, "contacts": [ { "name": "Sara McConaghy", "company": "Canada Soccer", "description": "Director, Community and Sport Inclusion", "email": "smcconaghy@canadasoccer.com", "website": null, "address": null, "telephone": null, "mobile": null, "twitter": null, "facebook": null, "linkedin": null, "instagram": null } ], "author": { "first_name": "Media", "last_name": "Canada Soccer" }, "format_version": 6 }