The Fundy Youth Soccer Club (FYSC) is located within the Highland Region of Nova Scotia which covers the areas from Amherst to Antigonish. The following information explains about the activities of Soccer NS and the Highland District Soccer Association (HDSA)
 
About Highland Soccer
Introduction
This document provides a general overview of the soccer organizations within the Highland region of Nova Scotia – their hierarchal structure within Soccer NS, their primary responsibilities, and the programs they encompass and support. It is meant to provide all levels of soccer volunteers and members in the region with a better understanding of the ‘big picture’ as it now exists. This will help explain who we are and what we’re all about in organizing soccer for this part of the province.

Soccer Nova Scotia – CSA - CONCACAF - FIFA
Soccer Nova Scotia (SNS), like all other provincial soccer associations in Canada is a member of the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA). The CSA is part of CONCACAF, the North America-Central America soccer region, and CONCACAF is a member of FIFA, Federation International Football Federation. FIFA is responsible for the official rules of soccer and all international soccer competitions. These higher national and international organizations also typically collect a player levy from each lower organization, a levy that eventually works it way down to the individual player. In Nova Scotia, a portion of our seasonal registration fees are to pay this fee.

Soccer NS oversees all soccer programs in the province. They develop policies, rules, regulations for all soccer groups in the province and coordinate all administrative activities (player registration, provincials, leagues, referees, etc).

SNS also runs one component of player development/participation - provincial teams. There are teams for Under 13, Under 14, Under 15, and Under 16, and every 4 years, Canada Games, boys and girls for each.

There is a winter training component for these teams (selected through fall tryouts for players identified by clubs/districts) that consists of weekend training sessions at SNS Indoor centre 4-5 times through the winter, and weekly training sessions at the regional training centres (see below) for all players within each region. Players pay fees for this training, typically about $200-$250.

The other component is summer teams. These final teams are selected in the spring (tryout weekend, mostly attended by winter training players, but some ‘invitees’ always show up). The Under 14, Under 16 (‘all star’) teams go to a national All-Star tournament (for national level scouting), while the Under 13, Under 15 play in other tournaments. All teams practice weekly and typically play up an age group in the Nova Scotia Soccer League with the provincial team. Players also pay fees for these teams/programs, typically about $200-$250 for non all-star teams and $700-$800 for all star teams.

SNS also runs a Regional Training Centre - Under 12 program using the regional training centres (RTCs), designed to identify/train upcoming/potential provincial players. These players train 15-20 weekends through the winter at the RTC, than have a spring showcase tournament in April (Halifax) where initial identification is made, a follow up summer camp in Halifax and a final tryout in the fall for the next years Under 13 provincial team. Again, participation fees are charged to help offset costs.

Highland Region
The Highland Region is one of 7 geographic regions within Nova Scotia, defined by Soccer NS for the purposes of provincial championships representation, and SNS board and committee representation. It is also the region under the jurisdiction of the Highland Soccer League.  The region is comprised of a single Soccer NS District – the Highland District Soccer Association or ‘HDSA’. It is geographically bounded by Cumberland, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, and Guysborough counties. 

While the region does not exist as formal organization, the HDSA and its member clubs cooperatively work on regional soccer initiatives, including but not limited to the Highland Soccer League, and the Highland regional training centre.
 
Highland District Soccer Association
The HDSA is the member/parent district for all other soccer organizations in the highland region. As a district in the Soccer Nova Scotia organization, it has a position on the Soccer Nova Scotia Board of Directors, and other SNS committees such as the Competitions Committee and Technical Committee.
The HDSA uses 3 core committees to assist clubs in the delivery of soccer programs:
- Technical Committee
This committee has a mandate to provide player and coach development programs, both directly through district run events like a Soccer Academy and Coaching Clinics.
- Competitions Committee
This committee directly runs or assists clubs with all competition related issues/programs, including but not limited to the Highland Soccer League and any tournaments hosted in the region.
- Facilities Committee
This committee helps the region and its member clubs identify, acquire, and manage soccer facilities within the region, both indoor and outdoor.

The HDSA Board is made up of representatives from all member clubs, relying on club participation to succeed. The HDSA also has paid staff to assist in administrative duties (administrative officer) and technical program delivery (technical director). District controlled programs and staff are funded through an annual player fee collected from all registered players in the region. Additional fees are periodically collected to fund facility projects, such as an indoor soccer facility or all-weather turf fields.
 
Highland Soccer League
The Highland Soccer League (HSL) is one of the many TIER 2 leagues in the province that organizes summer (and where possible, winter) league play for all competitive teams in the highland region. The League is ‘run’ by the HDSA Competitions Committee. It exists as a recognized ‘League’ bu Soccer Nova Scotia, and as such is required to follow all related SNS league policies and procedures. The League registers teams, creates schedules, tracks /standings and maintains rules/regulations. The League has also been empowered by SNS to annually identify/declare a representative from the region to attend Tier 2 provincials. League play involves both indoor and outdoor play, and includes players from Under 12 (9-10 year olds) to Masters (over 35). Fundy, Central Colchester, Pictou, Pictou Co., and Antigonish clubs all field teams that play in the HSL.
 
The Nova Scotia Soccer League
The Nova Scotia Soccer League (NSSL) is the ONLY provincial league and it organizes TIER 1 / PREMIER league play (summer and winter) for all Tier 1/ Sr A competitive teams in the province. The League is ‘run’ by its members, defined as the member CLUBS districts that make up the league – in the Highland region, our elite player development is through the XFC Soccer Club  http://www.xfcsoccer.org/home.php.
The League registers teams, creates schedules, tracks /standings and maintains rules/regulations. The League has also been empowered by SNS to annually identify/declare the top four teams in the province to attend Tier 1 provincials.
 
Clubs
Clubs are the next level of formal organization under SNS. Clubs are members of a District, and it is at the club level that the true ‘work’ in organizing soccer teams/programs occurs. In the Highland region there are currently eight clubs:
- Fundy Youth Soccer Club (Amherst)
- Central Colchester Soccer Association (Truro)
- Pictou Soccer Club
- North Nova Soccer Club
- New Glasgow Soccer Club
- Pictou County United Soccer Club
- Antigonish Minor Soccer Association
- XFC Soccer Club - Elite Player Development
These clubs all organize soccer programs and form teams for either and/or both ‘recreational’ and ‘competitive’ competitions. Some clubs run both programs while others run only selective programs for selective age groups.
 
As already mentioned, the clubs are the ‘meat and potatoes’ of soccer in the province. They organize mini soccer programs and competitive and recreational teams, register players, recruit and train/assist coaches, and so on and so on.
ALL Players register with Soccer Nova Scotia through the Club. Teams are formed at the Club level for both competitive and recreational play, and are registered with either the Club itself (for recreational play) or with Leagues (for competitive play).