2026 SSA Board of Directors

The SSA Annual General Meeting was held Saturday March 21st at the Western Development Museum in North Battleford.

During the meeting two new Directors were elected to fill the seats of outgoing directors Glen Schuler and Lisa Bagonluri as they did not seek re-election.

With Lisa Bagonluri not seeking re-election Andrew Kitchen was elected as President. Lisa will be taking on the role of Past President providing her expertise to the board as they move forward.

We would like to thank Glen for all he has contributed to the SSA during his time on the board and hope to see him around the pitch!

Our Board of Directors plays a critical role in shaping policy, ensuring good governance, and supporting the long-term success of our organization.

These individuals generously give their time, energy, and expertise—often balancing these responsibilities alongside their professional and personal commitments. Their leadership helps us grow, adapt, and better serve our members and community.

We extend our sincere appreciation to our Board of Directors past and present for their commitment and passion. Their volunteer service is not only valued—it is essential.

March was a busy month for competitions as we hosted our annual Sask Cup Futsal event in North Battleford February 27th-March 1st, Sask Cup 9-a-side in Moose Jaw March 12-15th and Sask Cup Power Chair in Regina on March 28th.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Battlefords Youth Soccer Inc. and JJ Soccer for hosting. Your organizations, volunteers, and communities played an important role in delivering well-run and memorable championship events. We are grateful for your leadership, commitment, and continued support of soccer and futsal in Saskatchewan!

We would also like to thank FC Regina, Saskatoon Adult Soccer and everyone who came out and was involved in making our Sask Cup Power Chair event a success.

Sask Cup 9-a-side Results

U15 Boys

Champion: Aurora Celtics

Finalist: Eastside Atalanta

MVP: Faizon Raji - Aurora Celtics

Fair Play: Battlefords United FC

U15 Girls

Champion: FCR Legacy

Finalist: ASTRA Red

MVP: Lilou Lindsay - FCR Legacy

Fair Play: Forge FC

U17 Boys

Champion: QC United

Finalist: ASTRA

MVP: Declan Johnston - QC United

Fair Play: Battlefords United FC

U17 Girls

Champion: FCR Metz

Finalist: PA Celtic

MVP: Kennedy Mazar - Battlefords United FC

Fair Play: Battlefords United FC

U19 Boys

Champion: FCR Bluestars

Finalist: Excelsior FC

MVP: Vito Lulu-Pokubo - Astra Soccer Academy

Fair Play: Eastside Rangers

U14 Boys

Champion: Yorkton United FC

Finalist: QC United (Steven)

MVP: Tom Nguyen - Excelsior FC

Fair Play: Excelsior FC

U14 Girls

Champion: Yorkton United FC

Finalist: QC United (Taylor)

MVP: Dallas Liebrecht – Yorkton United FC

Fair Play: Yorkton United FC

U16 Boys

Champion: Excelsior FC

Finalist: Swift Current United

MVP: Jomi Olaleye – Excelsior FC

Fair Play: Battlefords Futsal Academy

U18 Boys

Champion: Swift Current United

Finalist: SYSI Futsal

MVP: Griffin Striker – Swift Current United

Fair Play: SYSI Futsal

U18 Girls

Champion: Yorkton United FC

Finalist: Swift Current United

MVP: Aubrielle Butler – Yorkton United FC

Fair Play: Swift Current United

Adult Male

Champion: Unity FC

Finalist: SK Villians

MVP: Bayo Balogun – SK Villians

Fair Play: Unity FC

Adult Female

Champion: Saskatoon G & W

Finalist: Unity FC

MVP: Cheyenne Lehmann

Fair Play: Unity FC

Futsal Canadian Championship

Congratulations to the Men's and Women's Teams that will be representing Saskatchewan at the Canada Soccer Futsal Canadian Championship in Calgary from April 9th-12th.

The teams representing Saskatchewan are Saskatoon Green and White in the Women's Division and Unity FC in the Men's division. Both teams look to build on the success of Saskatchewan from 2025 where the Women took home Gold and the Men Finished 6th.

Saskatoon Green and White (Women) take on Sporting Montreal FC to get their tournament started on Thursday, April 9th at 9:00 AM local time.

Saskatoon Unity FC (Men) kick off their tournament against BC representative Zamyad FC North Vancouver on Thursday, April 9th at 4:30 PM local time.

All games are being played at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex in Calgary, AB. Full schedule and results can be found Here.

Saskatoon Green and White

Unity FC

SSA Invests in Grassroots Development by Covering Cost of 2026 On-Field Coach and Official Education Workshops

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association (SSA) recognizes that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted in North America, is expected to generate unprecedented interest and participation in soccer across Canada. Historically, major global tournaments have led to significant increases in player registrations, coach involvement, and referee recruitment at the grassroots level.

In anticipation of this growth, SSA is proactively investing in initiatives designed to help Member Organizations build the capacity needed to support increased participation and expanded programming opportunities. By reducing barriers to education and training, SSA aims to ensure that clubs across Saskatchewan are well positioned to welcome new players, develop qualified coaches and referees, and sustain the long-term growth of the game.



As part of this commitment, we are pleased to announce that there will be no cost for coaches to attend a Grassroots Coach Education On-Field Workshop during the 2026 calendar year.

The online theory component will remain mandatory, and the cost associated with the online theory portion will continue to be the responsibility of the coach or their Member Organization. Participant fees for any in-house workshop deliveries that have already occurred in 2026 will be waived.



This initiative is available exclusively to individuals who are registered to coach within a Member Association of Saskatchewan Soccer.

Course Locations

Courses in the following areas have been confirmed:

Courses in the following areas are planned but are pending final confirmation of dates: Prince Albert, Weyburn, Swift Current, Redvers.

Registration

Registration for all events will open on Friday, March 6, 2026.

Click Here to register.

Additional Hosting Requests

Saskatchewan Soccer will cover all costs associated with the courses listed above.

If a community requests to host an additional SSA-delivered event beyond those already scheduled, the requesting community will be responsible for all operating costs, including Coach Developer meals, accommodation, travel, and honorarium.

In-House Course Deliveries

In addition to SSA-delivered courses, Member Organizations may apply to host an in-house course. Applications must be submitted using the designated form and received at least fourteen (14) calendar days prior to the course date.

Member Organizations approved to host an in-house delivery will not be charged the individual participant fee.

For approved in-house courses, the hosting Member Organization is responsible for:

·      Managing all course logistics

·      Covering facility costs

·      Paying the Coach Developer at the SSA standard rate

SSA may also utilize in-house deliveries to support the training and development of new Coach Developers in the region. Member Organizations will be notified upon approval if additional personnel will be present. SSA will cover all costs associated with any Master Coach Developer or Coach Developer in Training attending these events.

Referee Entry Level Workshops – 2026

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association (SSA) is pleased to announce that it will be covering the course fee ($75 per participant) for individuals attending a Referee Entry Level Workshop during the 2026 calendar year.

The online theory component will remain mandatory, and the cost associated with the online portion will continue to be the responsibility of the referee or their Member Organization. Participant fees for any Referee Entry Level clinics that have already occurred in 2026 will be subsidized by Saskatchewan Soccer.

This initiative is open to all interested individuals. Upon completion of the course, participants must register as a referee within a Member Association of Saskatchewan Soccer. The Member Organization will be responsible for the referee registration costs and ensuring that participants remain registered in future years.



Confirmed Course Locations

The following Referee Entry Level Workshops have been confirmed:

Please visit the Saskatchewan Soccer website for exact registration deadlines for each course. Some workshops may have limited capacity based on available space and instructor availability. If you would like to register please click Here.



Communities interested in hosting a referee course are encouraged to contact Octavian Iliuta at o.iliuta@sasksoccer for more information.

Connected

To strengthen relationships and foster meaningful conversations, SSA will host Monthly Technical Meetings with Member Organizations.

These sessions are designed to share updates on SSA and CSA projects, hear your perspectives, and support early collaboration on your initiatives. 

The meeting link is provided below and was also shared in a previous email to all MO representatives. 

Connected | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams  

2025 SSA Recognition Awards

On March 21st, the soccer community gathered in North Battleford to celebrate our athletes, officials, coaches, volunteers, member organizations, and teams, and the incredible achievements they reached in 2025.

Congratulations to all of our nominees and award winners on their outstanding accomplishments—we are proud to recognize your dedication, passion, and impact on the game.

The Saskatchewan Soccer Association is proud to recognize our award winners for 2025!

Female Referee Entry Level Clinic

Saskatchewan Soccer will be hosting a Female only Referee Clinic on April 11, 2026 - 10:30- 5:00pm in Saskatoon. 

The SSA counts on your support for the recruitment of female referees by channeling interested and available candidates (14 years old and above by May 1, 2026) to this clinic. 

There is no cost associated to you as Saskatchewan Soccer will be subsidizing their Course fee.  

There is a requirement to have the referee registered with your MO (RSRA in this case) after completion of the course (this is the same requirement for all referees). Upon completion, support and mentorship will also be needed for them to be successful on field. 

• Interested candidates should pre-register via this link. 

• Following this pre-registration, they must complete the Online Modules via Canada Soccer’s Smarter U. They will be required to purchase an Access Key($40) from here and complete the modules by April 4th, 2026. Complete instructions start with step 3 by accessing this link. The completion of the module by the deadline will secure their pre-registration spot on a first completed first served basis. There are limited numbers - I advise this is completed sooner if possible. 

• We will be monitoring their progress and, once completed, we will connect with them directly within more details on the course. 

Entry Level Referee Course Online Modules 

As of 2024, Canada Soccer has launched the new updated Entry Level Referee Online Modules. This has replaced the SSA Google Classroom approach aligning entry-level coach and referee development at the National level. The access keys for the online modules (purchased by each participant) will cost $40 for $2026 and $50 in 2027. 

All eligible Referee Entry Level Clinic participants (minimum of 14 years and older) are required to complete The Online Training via Canada Soccer’s SmarterU platform before moving forward with a seven-hour in-person session to complete referee certification.  

The Referee Course Registration Guide is outlined here. The Referee Entry Level Clinic process via Smarter U is available via this link. The Small Sided Referee /Futsal referee process is described here. All information is also available on the SSA Website on the Referee Courses page. 

For more information on referee courses or to schedule a practical session in your community, please contact Octavian Iliuta – Manager of Referee Development at o.iliuta@sasksoccer.com. 

Community Referee Education Sessions

SSA will be offering Laws of the Game Refresher online education sessions (via Zoom) to all Saskatchewan Soccer registered 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 Laws of the Game 2025-2026 Revisions, including the Goalkeeper 8 second release. You are welcome to attend one session that fits your schedule.  

Sessions take place, March 24, April 1, April 15, and April 23 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. 

Green Whistle Campaign

Over 80% of the new referees that took a Referee Course in 2025 were under the age of 18. 

As the Indoor season, with tournament and leagues is in full swing, a kind reminder to all participants regarding proper behaviour, and displaying a positive example, for a Positive Game Time environment. Emotions do come out, words in the moment hurt, and Referees are Human. 



Referees are essential to the participant’s 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! 



If their whistle is Green, they are Under 18! 

Female Development Network

The Female Development Network wrapped up for the 2025-26 co-hort with guest speakers Hassan Mowgli – Director Of Soccer Operations, SSA and Chantelle LaMotte – Mentor with Coaches Assoc. of Canada and had their final get together at the Awards Banquet concluding with Brunch the following day.

Applications for the next co-hort will be available in August.

February 25th was Pink Shirt Day

The day is meant to raise awareness about bullying prevention in every area of society, including sport. Originating in 2007, David Shepherd and Travis Price — a pair of Grade 12 students in Berwick, Nova Scotia — handed out numerous pink shirts to support a Grade 9 student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Since, Pink Shirt Day has become symbolic of creating an inclusive and kind space for all.

Saskatchewan Soccer Association www.sasksoccer.com