For Immediate Release
December 1, 2025
Football Ontario Unveils 2026 Team Ontario Male Tackle Road Map
Football Ontario Announces the Road Map for the 2026 Male Tackle High Performance Program
Hamilton, Ontario – Football Ontario has officially unveiled the Road Map for the 2026 Futures Identification, High Performance Academy and Team Ontario Program. For the 2026 Male Tackle High-Performance Season, Football Ontario will again have a U14 (2013/2014), U16 (2011/2012), and a U18 (2009/2010) Male Tackle High Performance Program.
REGISTER FOR FUTURES ID CAMPS TODAY!
The Identification and Selection process will consist of three phases that take place from January-May and lead to the selections of the teams that will participate in the Football Canada Cup for the U18 age group, the Football Canada Eastern Regional for the U16s, and the Football Ontario RedBlack weekend for the U14 age group.
Please stay tuned for Football Canada’s formal announcement on the official dates of these tournaments.
U18 Road Map
PHASE 1
Phase One will take place in January and February with Football Ontario Futures ID Camps. For the first time, there will be a total of four camps held across the province for each age group with a University of Waterloo Camp, a University of Toronto Camp, a Carleton University Camp, and a Sudbury Camp.
Each Identification Camp will be initially limited to 100 athletes per age group so that the organization is able to provide the best possible experience to those in attendance.
These Identification Camps will be priced at $89.99 each, however, if you register prior to January 1, 2026 you will receive early-bird pricing of $79.99.
Please stay tuned to our social media networks for more information on the timing and schedule for each of our age groups which will be finalized within the next week. Each Phase One Registration will also include entry to online sessions that will be held for the athletes.
WATERLOO REGISTRATION – January 11, 2026
U14: 8:15am-10:15am
U16: 12:15pm-3pm
U18: 3pm-5:45pm
TORONTO REGISTRATION – January 18, 2026
U14: 9am-11am
U16: 11am-1:45pm
U18: 1:45pm-4:30pm
OTTAWA REGISTRATION – February 15, 2026
U14: 3:30pm-5:30pm
U16: 5:30pm-8:15pm
U18: 8:15pm-11pm
SUDBURY REGISTRATION – February 21, 2026
U14: 8:15am-10:15am
U16: 12:15pm-3pm
U18: 3pm-5:45pm
PHASE 2
Phase Two will take place immediately following Phase 1 with the High-Performance Academy with the top players from each of the Identification Camps receiving an invite to participate. There will be a total of two Development Camps for each age group, with 125 athletes per age group participating each day.
These camps will take place in April of 2025 in Guelph and will consist of both on-field and classroom work for the athletes that make it to Phase 2.
The tentative dates and locations for each camp are listed below:
U18 Development Camps
- April 12/13: 10am-7pm (Guelph, Ontario)
U16 Development Camps
- April 12/13: 8am-4:30pm (Guelph, Ontario)
U14 Development Camps
- April 12/13: 9am-5:15pm (Guelph, Ontario)
Football Ontario will also have virtual sessions held bi-weekly for all members admitted to the High-Performance Academy. These sessions will be led by both the coaching staff and special guests to help the athletes both on and off the field.
U16 Road Map
PHASE 3
Phase Three will take place in early May, with the selection of the Football Ontario Top 90 Provincial Players and the 2025 Red-Black Weekend. The Top 90 will be personally invited by Football Ontario to one of the largest recruiting events in Ontario with OUA/CJFL/U Sports coaches in attendance. Players will go through a mini-camp followed by the Red v. Black game that will be filmed and streamed.
The 2025 RedBlack Weekend is tentatively scheduled for May 2-3, 2025 and is to be held at the Queen’s University in Kingston, ON. Athletes will receive a Team Ontario backpack, three meals, and one-night accommodations in residence (accommodations for U16 and U18 athletes only).
The U18 Team Red and Team Black will be selected by a virtual draft held and performed by the Coaching Staff of the Team Ontario program leading up to the weekend. The draft will be streamed online via the Official Football Ontario YouTube Channel.
PHASE 4/5
Following these three phases the Football Ontario Top 40 will be named and selected to take part in the Canada Cup (U18) and Eastern Regional Challenge (U16). Stay tuned for Football Canada’s formal announcement on when these events will take place.
After the success last year, Football Ontario will again be inviting all selected athletes for a 3 day training camp prior to leaving for their teams National Championship, the alternates for each team will also be invited to attend this training camp so that they can prepare with the team.
The training camps are tentatively set to take place on July 2-5 for our U16 age group and July 8-14 for our U18 age group.
U14 Road Map
“The unveiling of the 2026 Team Ontario Men’s Tackle Road Map represents an important step forward in our pursuit of high-performance excellence. This comprehensive, multi-phased process—from the initial Futures Identification Camps to the rigorous High-Performance Academy and selection at the RedBlack Weekend—is intentionally created to provide an immersive experience for our province’s most dedicated student-athletes,” says JT Tsui, Football Ontario’s Director of Culture and Sport. “Our commitment is to a structured development opportunity that not only prepares them for success at the U18 Football Canada Cup and U16 Football Canada Eastern Regional Challenge but also instills the discipline and foundational skills necessary for their continued growth at this next stage of their athletic development. We invite all prospective student-athletes, and their supportive parents and caregivers, to walk alongside us on this exciting journey toward the pinnacle of provincial football.”
Football Ontario is excited to have the opportunity to return to the National Championships in 2026 and lead a successful Team Ontario program in order to showcase all the talent the province has to offer.
REGISTER FOR FUTURES ID CAMPS TODAY!
FOOTBALL ONTARIO SPONSORSHIP AND FUNDRAISING INFORMATION
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
www.footballontario.net
ABOUT FOOTBALL ONTARIO: Football Ontario is the sanctioned provincial governing body for football in Ontario, through its focus on transparency, growth, alignment and excellence, is engaged in providing football opportunities for all of Ontario. Football Ontario is driven by a commitment to deliver football programming, opportunities and resources for its members and the provincial football stakeholders. Please visit: footballontario.net
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