Southwest United is a premier soccer club based in south Edmonton. Our club offers elite youth soccer development programs for boys and girls aged 4 to 17. As a club we focus on player development in a positive team environment. Our programs are aligned with the Canadian Soccer Association’s guidelines for long term player development.
The people in our club are driven by a love of the game and a strong commitment to elite youth soccer in Edmonton. Our soccer club provides a unique culture and training environment for young soccer players. We believe in the power of positive coaching and are committed to developing our athletes to their fullest potential. At Southwest United we care about the health of our athletes, and we do everything we can to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent injuries. Our coaching staff, volunteers and Board of Directors all work hard to ensure the ongoing success of our club. Their goal is to provide a positive, high quality learning environment for young soccer players, inspiring them to be the best they can be.
At Southwest United we strive to develop our athletes to their fullest potential and instill in them a lifelong passion for sport, fitness and the pursuit of excellence, both on and off the soccer pitch.
We believe that individual development, both as players and as people, is the most important take away for all of our young athletes.
We are committed to providing a positive, motivating environment for our players, inspiring them to be the best they can be.
We believe that all committed young soccer players should have equal access to the high quality programs and supportive environment that our club provides. No economic, social, ethnic, religious or gender barriers should ever restrict participation in our programs.
We are committed to the safety and health of all our young athletes, and do everything we can to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent injuries.
We believe in upholding the very highest coaching, technical and ethical standards. We have zero tolerance for bullying or disrespectful behavior from coaches, players, parents, officials or volunteers.
As a club we focus on player development rather than winning at all cost. This approach helps young players learn faster, develop good habits, stay motivated and achieve their goals, while fostering mental toughness. Our club’s practices are aligned with the Canadian Soccer Association’s Long Term Player Development pathway. This model enables young players to train and compete in an environment appropriate to their stage of growth and development. Ultimately all of our practices promote personal development in the context of a strong team spirit. We value each player on every team equally. Each player brings a unique skill set and is considered an important member of the team. We provide ALL our players with opportunities to develop and showcase their skills.
The story of the Southwest United – or SWU, as we like to call ourselves – is all about passion. It’s more than just a passion for soccer. It’s a passion for helping young athletes develop to be the best they can be, as players and as people. SWU was established in 1981. We were one of the founding members of EIYSA, the Edmonton Inter district Youth Soccer Association, which was created to offer serious youth soccer players a higher level of training and competition than the Edmonton Minor Soccer Association was providing.
SWU families can rest assured that their young soccer players are in good hands, with stable, experienced, qualified coaches who focus on individual player development in a positive team environment. Guided by the Canadian Soccer Association’s Long Term Player Development pathway, our coaching staff focuses on the four main areas of athletic development: physical, technical, tactical and mental. As a club we endorse a highly technical “possession style” of play, which has been the cornerstone of our ongoing success in league play, tournaments, provincial and even national competitions. Our crowning achievement came in 2008 when the 1990 Boys team became Canadian National Champions. More recently, our 2003 Girls won gold at the Alberta Provincial Championships in the summer of 2015.But win, lose or draw, we’re immensely proud of all our teams and all our athletes. Our players come to appreciate that it’s not just about scoring goals – its about setting goals, testing limits, working as a team and being the best they can be. It’s about training with purpose and playing with passion.
