Vancouver Whitecaps FC Tryouts & Club Guide: History, Stadium, Players, and More!
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Vancouver Whitecaps FC is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league’s Western Conference.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy Development System
Vancouver Whitecaps FC PRE-BOYS MLS ACADEMY AND PRE-GIRLS ELITE
Prior to entering the club’s professional development programs at the MLS Academy and Girls Elite REX levels, players can be selected into the Whitecaps FC Pre-MLS Academy and Whitecaps FC Pre-Girls Elite program.
Players at the U-14 age level are identified and selected through the BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) and BC Soccer Provincial Program. Teams train four times per week at the Whitecaps FC training field at Simon Fraser University (SFU), under the Whitecaps FC curriculum, with regular competitive matches against select competition and MLS academy teams. Both teams will also travel to tournaments for elite international competition in their age group.
Only local players are selected for this age group, and all players remain at their own schools.
Staff
The Pre-MLS Academy team is led by head coach Bart Choufour and assisted by Paul Thompson, while the Pre-Girls Elite team is overseen by head coach Chris Sargeant and assisted by Amy Harrison.
Part-time U-13 program
In addition to the Pre-Academy teams, a part-time U-13 program will kick off in January 2020. Players will remain with their BCSPL club, and train with Whitecaps FC once per week, with players then moving into the full-time U-14 squad. For more information on Whitecaps FC development programs, contact [email protected] or 1.855.932.1932. or visit their site by clicking here.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC MLS Boy Academy
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Recruitment
How to be recruited?
Players are identified through our Academy Centre network and extensive scouting network and player evaluation processes. In accordance with MLS territorial regulations, Whitecaps FC recruit players from BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and parts of Eastern Canada. The primary objective is to identify local BC-based players through the BC Soccer Premier League, as well as other Canadian players across the club’s territory.
Please note that we can only consider players who are Canadian Citizens, or Permanent Residents and are residing in Canada on a full-time basis with immediate family.
For further recruiting inquiries, please contact: Whitecaps FC Academy Recruitment at [email protected].
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Camps and Academy Centers
Whitecaps FC and BMO share a commitment to developing soccer talent across the country. With World Cup 2026 fast approaching, the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy System helps provide a foundation for Canada’s soccer future.
A coast-to-coast network of Academy Centres identifies young talent and provides a gateway to professional soccer, scholarships, and the Canadian national teams, including a pathway to Vancouver with the Boys MLS Academy and the Girls Elite REX program. Alphonso Davies and Jordyn Huitema are some of the players that come from these programs.
For a complete list of academy centers with times and locations, please click here.
For a complete list of up-to-date camps, please click here.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Club Partner Programs
Canmore Minor Soccer
Canmore FC will grow by providing a fun, inclusive and respectful environment, enabling all to grow and work towards their chosen pathways on and off the pitch.
ALL refers to players of all levels and aspirations, coaches, parents, referees and supporters.
To learn more about Canmore FC, please click here.
Kimberly Soccer Association
The Kimberley Soccer Association provides youth soccer training in the Kimberley area from 4 – 18 years of age. More information can be found at www.kimberleysoccer.com
Kootenay Rovers FC
The Whitecaps Academy is ran by the KEYSA’s Technical Director and Whitecaps coach Adam Mooi. Adam holds a Canadian Soccer Association National B Coaching License and Children’s License. Off the field he is currently double majoring in human resource management and marketing at the Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba. Players are encouraged to participate in the academy to aide in skill development.
To learn more about Kootenay Rovers FC, please click here.
Kootenay South Youth Soccer
In 2015 the KSYSA Board made a solid commitment to really invest in our soccer kids at all levels. We implemented new technical direction at the mini level and will be expanding. We are currently working on hiring a professional technical director which is really exciting and devoted to improving the skills and soccer experience for our kids.
To learn more about Kootenay South Storm Youth Soccer, please click here.
Kelowna Youth Soccer
For more information on Kelowna Youth Soccer, please click here.
Lake Country Youth Soccer Association (LCYSA)
Lake Country Youth Soccer Association is dedicated to the promotion of soccer in our community. We will strive to offer opportunities for all Lake Country children to play soccer in the most nurturing and developmental program that we can create. We will promote fair play, sportsmanship and unity with all of our teams, coaches and officials. We will also work in cooperation with the Central Okanagan Youth Soccer Association to promote these same values throughout our entire region.
For more information on LCYSA, please click here.
Lethbridge Soccer Association
A City owned multi-purpose soccer facility operated by the Lethbridge Soccer Association that is safe, clean, affordable and family oriented. For more information on Lethbridge Soccer Association, please click here.
Nelson Soccer Association
To learn more about Nelson Soccer Association, please click here.
Prince George Youth Soccer (PGYSA)
To learn more about PGYSA, please click here.
Girls Academy
As part of the Canada Soccer Pathway, Whitecaps FC have partnered with BC Soccer and Canada Soccer to launch the first Women’s Regional EXCEL Centre (REX) in Western Canada. Today, the program is a Super REX Centre, welcoming top women’s soccer prospects from across Canada to attend school, train, and play together daily in Burnaby, BC.
The program kicked off in January 2015 and is led by Whitecaps FC Girls Elite staff with support from BC Soccer. The head coach of the program is Chris Sargeant.
The Girls Elite Super REX program in Vancouver maintains a standardized national curriculum for female players U-13 to U-18, feeding into Canada Soccer’s Women’s National EXCEL Program.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Recruitment
Entrance into the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX Program in partnership with BC Soccer is by invitation only, and done in conjunction with Canada Soccer National EXCEL staff.
Within BC, the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) and BC Soccer’s High Performance Programming will act as Super REX identification, evaluation, and assessment platforms throughout the year. Players selected for the Girls Elite Super REX Program will be removed from their community club. Players invited into this program are done so based on an ongoing evaluation process.
Across Canada, Whitecaps FC work together with Canada Soccer, and have official partnerships with the provincial associations of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
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Vancouver Whitecaps FC Overview
Whitecaps FC, a professional soccer team headquartered in Vancouver, is a member of the Canadian Soccer League (CSA). Members of the Western Conference, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC compete in Major League Soccer (MLS). The Whitecaps FC were the 17th MLS team and replaced the USSF Division 2 team of the same name in Vancouver. Since the end of the 2010 USSF season, the club has been owned and operated by the same group as it was when it played in the US Soccer League. The Whitecaps MLS team is the third in the franchise’s history to bear the Whitecaps moniker. As of 2012, the squad was the first Canadian club to make it to a playoff game in the Major League Soccer (MLS).
Vancouver Whitecaps FC History
On March 18, 2009, MLS Commissioner Don Garber awarded the seventeenth MLS franchise to a Vancouver-based ownership group. Over a year after the Vancouver announcement, the club confirmed that the Whitecaps moniker will be retained. Executives from around the world were brought in to help the Whitecaps get ready for their debut MLS season. Paul Barber, a former Tottenham Hotspur F.C. employee, was named CEO of the club on November 24, 2009. Former D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn served as Director of Operations, while Dutch national Richard Grootscholten served as Technical Director and head coach of the residency program, respectively.
Ex-Iceland international Teitur Thordarson was confirmed as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps on September 2, 2010 for the season’s first MLS campaign. The Whitecaps won just one of their first twelve games under his leadership, and on May 30, 2011, he was relieved of his responsibilities. Whitecaps director of soccer operations Tom Soehn has taken over Thordarson’s duties until a permanent replacement can be found.
The Whitecaps opened the 2011 MLS season with a 4-2 victory over their crosstown rivals Toronto FC on March 19, 2011. Eric Hassli scored the first goal for the Whitecaps in the MLS era. For the next 11 MLS games, the Whitecaps failed to win a single game, drawing six times and losing five. Head coach Teitur Thordarson was fired after a 1–1 tie with the New York Red Bulls on May 30th. On August 9, Martin Rennie was named the team’s new permanent head coach and formally assumed control on November 2 when Tom Soehn took over coaching duties for the remainder of the 2011 season.
A Camilo Sanvezzo goal gave the Whitecaps a 1–0 win over Toronto FC in the 2012 Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic on March 3, 2012. They concluded the regular season with 11 wins, three defeats and ten ties, placing the Whitecaps 5th in the Western Conference and 11th overall in the National Hockey League. MLS playoff berths have never been held by a Canadian club before, but the Vancouver Whitecaps did just that on October 21, 2012. During the knockout stage, Vancouver was eliminated. With 13 wins, 12 losses, and 9 ties, the Canucks finished the regular season in seventh place in the Western Conference and thirteenth overall in the league standings in 2013.
They were unable to make the playoffs, as they had done in the previous season, despite their best efforts. Rennie’s contract was not renewed two days after the end of the 2013 MLS regular season, prompting a search for the next head coach. The Whitecaps were embroiled in a scandal following the departure of Brazilian midfielder Camilo, who had been with the team since its inception, to Liga MX club Querétaro. The Whitecaps reported that he was still under contract with Vancouver, while the Mexican club believed that he was no longer under contract. In the end, the Vancouver Canucks paid a transfer fee to acquire the Brazilian striker for the Liga MX team.
After earning the top-ranked Canadian team in the 2014 MLS season and a restructured Canadian Championship the following season, the Whitecaps qualified for the 2015–16 CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in October 2014. MLS playoffs began a week later, and they advanced once again, a feat that no other Canadian side had accomplished before.
Colors and Badge
Whitecaps will continue to use the “Whitecaps” moniker, albeit with a revised logo, starting June 8, 2010. The city’s name refers to the mountains to the north and the white-capped waves of the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Navy blue (“deep sea”), white, and light blue are the club’s official colors (“Whitecaps blue”). Blues like “deep sea” and “Whitecaps blue” are used to portray Vancouver’s coastal landscape and the reflection of North Shore Mountains in the Pacific Ocean. A more subdued shade of blue is also a nod to the original Whitecaps, who were crowned Soccer Bowl champions in 1979.
Each championship since 1974 has been commemorated by the silver outline around the logo. Bell Canada was the first jersey sponsor for the Whitecaps when their new uniforms were presented on June 10th, 2010. It’s a white tee with navy blue pinstripes that get wider toward the bottom and the top. An interlocking diamond pattern in a deep blue color is embossed on the second shirt, which appears to shimmer in the light. Whitecaps introduced a third jersey on June 14, 2012.
British Columbia’s temperate rainforests are depicted in “arbutus brown” with sky blue highlights, a color that represents the land’s deep roots and high-reaching arms. To commemorate the team’s victory in the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl, they wore a reimagined version of their 1979 uniform in 2019.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Stadium
Its home games are held at BC Place, which it shares with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Since the end of the 2011 MLS season, Vancouver has played at BC Place, having previously played at Empire Field for the majority of the year.
There are 54,500 seats in the stadium that may be used for both football and soccer. As recently as 2009 and 2011, a two-phase renovation was completed on the stadium, which was built in 1983. In addition to the largest cable-supported retractable roof in the world and polytan artificial turf, which is FIFA-certified with a 2-star rating, the stadium has also been renovated. The top bowl of the stadium is closed off by white sails, called as the “secondary roof,” which the Whitecaps use to restrict the stadium’s capacity to 22,120 for games. As opposed to the original plan, the club has opted to play at BC Place due to resistance to Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium in Gastown.
Empire Field, a temporary stadium erected on the site of the former Empire Stadium, served as a temporary home for the Whitecaps and the BC Lions while BC Place was under renovation. Multipurpose stadium Empire Field had a FIFA 1-star FieldTurf rating of 27,500 seats. A 3–1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC was the team’s final game at Empire Field on September 24, 2011. A 1–0 loss to the Portland Timbers the next week marked the Whitecaps’ debut encounter at BC Place.
A permanent training facility is not in place for the team. Instead, the club relies on facilities throughout the greater Vancouver area. A $32.5 million National Soccer Development Centre was built on the UBC campus in partnership with the Government of British Columbia and the University of British Columbia (UBC). It opened on September 22, 2017.
Ownership
There are four investors who control Vancouver Whitecaps FC, including Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Nash. More than $2 billion is in the group’s bank account at this time. Since 2002, when former owner David Stadnyk sold the Whitecaps to United Soccer Leagues, Kerfoot has been the majority owner of the team. Crystal Decisions, where he served as CEO and chairman, was his previous employer. He was born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, and Mallett, a former Yahoo! COO, has a long history in soccer. A member of the 1982 CIS Men’s Soccer Championship-winning University of Victoria Vikes team, he also represented British Columbia’s under-16 provincial soccer team. Additionally, he spent one year on the men’s soccer squad at San Francisco State University before being sidelined by an injury.
In the wake of his departure from Yahoo!, Mallett bought small holdings in the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball and the English soccer team Derby County. Malcolm and Steve Nash originally met in 2005 at a charity soccer event, where they were able to put together an effort to acquire minority ownership of English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur F.C. before the end of the year. After that deal fell through, the two of them got in touch with Kerfoot to inquire about purchasing a small part in the team. Martin Nash’s older brother, Nash, was a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ midfield in the 1990s. Boston Celtics owner Boston Basketball Partners L.L.C.’s fourth partner, Steve Luczo, is the president, chairman and CEO of Seagate Technology and a partner in BBP. While working at Seagate Technology, Luczo and Kerfoot became acquainted, and Kerfoot reached out to Luczo to inquire about the club’s MLS candidacy. A $35 million expansion fee was paid to MLS in 2009 for the group to join the league.
