March 10 - Member Update
2022 Member Assistance Program (MAP) Grant
MAP eligibility letters will be sent out after the SSA AGM, these letters will indicate the minimum amount of Population Base Funding (PBF). Once you receive your letter you can start preparing your MAP Grant Spending Plan application.
For assistance with your applications please ensure you review the MAP Easy Guide and pre-recorded MAP webinar which can be found on the SSA MAP grant web page.
To support you better, we will be hosting two live webinars on Monday March 28 at noon, and Wednesday April 6 at 5:30 p.m. Pre-Registration is required.
NEW REQUIREMENT FOR MAP applications in 2022
Canada Soccer Club Licensing - Quality Soccer Provider (QSP)
As part of this year’s MAP Grant process, member organizations are required to hold QSP status or declare their intent to achieve QSP. Please ensure you complete your Club Licence declaration of interest form. QSP status is a process, and we are here to support you. For more information on Club Licensing please visit Sask Soccer Club Licensing.
If you have any questions:
MAP Applications - Eden Senger, e.senger@sasksoccer.com
Club Licensing - Markus Reinkens, m.reinkens@sasksoccer.com
Rural Adult Grant - Soccer and Futsal
New to 2022, we are excited to announce the Rural Adult Grant - Soccer & Futsal. This offers an opportunity for Rural organizations to expand their engagement within the community to include Adult participants.
For more information and to apply click here.
Applications will be open until April 15!
2022 Membership Renewal
REMINDER: Deadline for the Membership Renewal form and to submit the annual fee is Tuesday, March 15.
How to renew:
Login and select Executive Registration
Submit payment
Need Assistance? View a video tutorial on how to renew your membership!
*Renewals fees increase after March 15.
SSA Annual General Meeting and Member Sessions
The SSA AGM weekend will be held on March 18 - 20, 2022. All events will be held in person at the Saskatoon Inn. The AGM will be on Saturday, March 19, 2022, followed by education sessions.
Included in the AGM schedule of events is a come-and-go social on Friday evening, the Awards Banquet on Saturday evening, and additional sessions for female leaders on Sunday morning. We are pleased to be joined by Living Sky Sports and Entertainment who will host the lunch following the AGM.
In order to attend, delegates and participants must register! Please fill out the online Registration form by March 11, 2022.
REMINDER for Voting: In order to be eligible to vote all voting delegates are asked to fill out the voters registration form and return by email to ea@sasksoccer.com by NOON on March 15.
In Memoriam Request
SSA wishes to recognize those in the Saskatchewan soccer community that passed in 2021. We are requesting your support by providing names to bring forward for recognition as part of the Saskatchewan Soccer Association and Canada Soccer in Memoriam. Please submit names for any soccer participants or supporters that you wish to honour to cms@sasksoccer.com by March 15.
2022 Canada Soccer Active Start Soccer Fests Hosting Applications Now Open
Canada Soccer is pleased to announce that hosting applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Active Start Soccer Fests program which will mark season 26 of the country’s largest and longest running grassroots soccer program. Following a condensed 2021 season due to the ongoing pandemic, Canada Soccer continues to prioritize the safety of staff, volunteers, players, and parents and is looking forward to supporting the 2022 Active Start Soccer Fests program in accordance with local public health guidelines. Clubs looking to host an Active Start Soccer Festival in 2022 can now apply, however, it should be noted that all clubs must ensure they are following their respective Member Association’s guidelines for Return-to-Play, as well as all relevant public health authority guidelines.
Visit Canada Soccer’s website to read more about the Active Start Soccer Fests program: 2022 Canada Soccer Active Start Soccer Fests Hosting Applications Now Open - Canada Soccer
Coach Education
With spring right around the corner, it’s time again to engage in supporting coach development.
*Reminder: All Grassroots Coach Education courses are now being offered in a blended format with the online theory being delivered through Canada Soccer’s e-learning platform and on-field practical workshops through Saskatchewan Soccer and our member organizations. Coaches looking to register for an in-person workshop can do so through their Member Organization’s RAMP registration portal, once they have completed the online theory components.
To find out which course is right for you please reference our Coaching Standards.
Member Organizations looking to host one of the four Grassroots Coach Education workshops can do so by contacting m.reinkens@sasksoccer.com
It is time to Register Your Referees!
Preparations for the outdoor season are under way. Match officials represent a vital part of the game. Please encourage all returning referees to head over to your Member Organization’s RAMP portal and register if they have not done so already. Referees have a very important role in sport and having a trained pool of referees is vital to the success of your local programming.
What if not enough match officials are returning?
The time to recruit more participants and book a referee clinic is now. Head over to the Saskatchewan Soccer Referee Courses page for more information. Future referees are required to complete The Entry Level Referee Online Theory Module (accessible through the individual Ramp account) before registering for the one day “In Classroom/Practical component”. If your Member Organization has any questions, please contact Octavian at ccd@sasksoccer.com.
Community Referee Education Sessions
SSA will be offering Laws of the Game Refresher online education sessions to all Saskatchewan Soccer referees. Sessions will be approximately 1-1.5 hours and will focus on several exciting topics spread over the course of four sessions. We will explore and learn together on challenges, offside, handball, tactical fouls, dissent, and even rare situations that may occur based on the Laws of the Game. You are welcome to attend all sessions or just the ones that fit your schedule.
Sessions take place, March 29, April 7, April 13, and April 25 with a 7:30 p.m. start time.
Registration is on a first come, first served basis. If you are interested, please register here. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to access the session of your choice.
Referees are essential to the participant experience and advancement of the game. They deserve our respect and a supportive, abuse-free, environment. You can make a difference; always treat them well and thank them for their contributions every game!
Respectful Game Time Environments for All
SSA is committed to providing a safe, positive, and respectful game-time environment for all participants. For that to occur all participants are asked to maintain perspective, and appropriate behaviour, on and off the pitch. Soccer is a game that people pursue for many reasons including fun, fitness and camaraderie.
Sport requires all participants embrace the idea of collaborative competition. Participants want to be challenged and to do that we need opponents. Our Match Officials and Organizers are also an integral part of the game. Respect is a two-way street and in the heat of the moment we can lose track of the true spirit of sport.
True Sport Principles express an approach to sport that the vast majority of Canadians already believe in and practice. Although widely embraced, these principles often go unspoken. So, when they are violated — when people’s attitudes and actions threaten healthy and respectful competition.
The True Sport Principles are a rallying point — they are universal. The principles can be brought to life in any sport at any level. Recently, True Sport released a major research report that confirms that good sport, driven by positive values, has the power to deliver wide-ranging benefits for all Canadians!
Embrace True Sport Principles within your organization!
Be the solution! For more information click here - True Sport
Canadian Amateur Sport Health Check Survey
The Canadian Amateur Sport Health Check Survey, by Capitis Consulting, looks forward to gathering important data from SSA Member Organizations and compiling a series of industry reports throughout the year.
SSA invites our Member Organizations support in this research initiative aimed at gathering meaningful and impactful information on how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted Canadian amateur sport at a grassroots level, particularly with respect to capacity levels in the forms of staff, volunteers, and balance sheet strength.
The survey can be accessed here: Canadian Amateur Sport Health Check Survey - EN
Deadline for survey responses is Sunday April 3 2022.
Canada Soccer Launches Enhanced Fan Membership Program
Canada Soccer has launched a new initiative - CanadaRED+ Fan Membership Program - that will create an engaging fan movement from coast to coast and build on the success of our National Teams as well as the four-year runway to hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The guiding principle of the CanadaRED+ Program is to provide the opportunity for Canada Soccer fans to be part of the Canada Soccer Nation through four tiers of involvement by increasing the exclusivity and access as one progresses through the tiers based on their financial investment. Canada Soccer continues to offer FREE access through the existing CanadaRED tier which boasts 85,000+ members, and will be adding three additional tiers that will include:
CanadaRED+Gold
CanadaRED+Black
This redesigned program addresses key needs that will help support our National Teams and Development programs and empower Canadian soccer fans. In coming months, the organization will reveal a premium CanadaRED+GOLD tier, as well as an exclusive CanadaRED+BLACK tier. “The revamped CanadaRED program gives Canadian soccer fans enhanced access to support our National Teams including priority access to match tickets,” said Dr. Nick Bontis, Canada Soccer President. “When we play at home, CanadaRED will help to ensure that the stands in our house are filled with our fans. “The new tiered approach empowers fans to choose the level of support they’re comfortable with while contributing to our Women’s and Men’s National Teams continued rise to unprecedented heights.”
To read more about the program please visit the Canada Soccer website: CanadaRED Fan Membership Program - Canada Soccer
Visit Everyone’s Game Resource Centre in our bi-weekly communication to find informational and inspirational articles, member interviews, and developmental opportunities.
Educational Resource:
Take advantage of these two free resources, click the images below to learn more.
Keeping Girls in Sport is an interactive online course that was created to help coaches and leaders of the game understand how girls develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally, so that we can help every young athlete stay in sport, reach their potential, remain active long after the competitions end, and become the next generation of inspiring female coaches and role models.
The Gender Equity LENS e-learning module gives you the information and tools you need to act on your commitment to gender equity, helping you make policy and program decisions to better serve women and girls in your sport.
You’ll learn how to bring a gender lens to your decision-making and create the conditions to support women and girls to participate, lead and stay involved.
SSA Calendar of Events & Deadlines
Recordings of past webinars and COVID-19 member calls can be found on our YouTube Channel.
See our full Calendar of Events on our website.
March 11-13: S4L 9-aside Indoor Youth Provincial Championship
March 15: Canada Soccer 2021 In Memoriam Deadline
March 19: SSA Annual General Meeting and Awards
March 22: SSA Female Referee Development Group
April 5: SSA Female Referee Development Group
April 21: SSA Female Referee Development Group
BE SAFE! BE THE SOLUTION!
As a reminder, please continue to take care of yourself, your families, and others.
| We encourage everyone to be fully vaccinated and get a booster shot as soon as you are eligible. |
| Wash your hands frequently (it is the single most effective way of reducing infection spread). |
| Practice other good hygiene habits: do not touch your face/eyes/mouth with your hands and cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough (ideally with a disposable tissue or the crease of your elbow). |
| Clean and disinfect frequently touched workspace surfaces. |
| Stay home if you are sick |
 | Our sport is underway during the pandemic. It's a challenging time, but support from our partners allows us to offer opportunities for kids to play. We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada. Nous reconnaissons l'appui financier du gouvernement du Canada. |
