About Us The Markham Soccer Club was formed in 1971 with one team in the Newmarket and District League. It has since grown to over 2,300 outdoor players and 800 indoor players. Our recreational division offers 3-a-side programs for U4 - U6 players, a 5-a-side micro-soccer program for U7's, a mini-soccer (7-a-side) program for U8's, U9's and 10's and full-field programs from U10 to U18.
The Club has youth competitive Markham Lightning teams which play in the York Region Soccer League, the Central Soccer League, the Central Girls Soccer League and the Ontario Youth Soccer League. These teams range from U8 to U18.
Our Adult Division is continuing to grow. Our outdoor adult teams now include:
Mens' and Womens' Leagues Indoor and Outdoor
York Region Soccer League Recreational Men's team
Womens' teams playing in the York Region Soccer League & the Durham Ladies Soccer League
Our indoor home is the Mount Joy Community Centre on 16th Avenue in Markham. This facility has a hockey-size soccer arena with an astro-turf on sand floor. For indoor play, we use an approach very similar to outdoor mini-soccer. In addition to our internal house leagues for youth, men's and women's leagues; we have competitive games for our teams in the OISL; invitational leagues and clinics.
We are proud to be the only soccer club (that we know of) in Ontario to offer a program for special needs players. Our "Thumbs Up" soccer program started in 1999 as an indoor program for these players. It has been very successful and we intend to continue offering it as a standard program.
A Condensed History
The Club was formed in the winter of 1971/72 by a group headed by Gavin Berry. The Club was initially known as the Markham Minor Soccer Club and then Markham Youth Soccer Club until 1991, when it merged with Markham (Senior) Soccer Club to form today's Club.
It was a House League Club until the 1976/77 season, when Representative Teams were introduced under Len Notaro's presidency. When Brian Crawford was President in 1978/79, Indoor Soccer was introduced.
January, 1988 saw the opening of Mount Joy Community Centre, our home.
1990 saw the initiation of the Advanced Skills Clinic.
In 1994, Soccer School for U5 and a micor-soccer program for U6 and U7 was started.
The men's team migrated to the Ontario Soccer League in 1995 with a season that took them to the Ontario Cup quarter-finals.
By 1998, MSC had developed to the point of hiring technical staff, and in the same year our unique Thumbs Up program for special needs players began.
In 2001, the OSA presented MSC with its Centre Circle Award.
