Cavalry Launches Year-Round, Fully-Funded Academy

The reigning Canadian Premier League champions are digging even deeper community roots through their academy side.

Cavalry FC has just announced the simultaneous rebrand of its League1 Alberta team along with the launch of a fully-funded academy system that will operate on a year-round schedule.

Entitled Cavalry FC II, the club’s reformed academy side will target players under the age of 18 and introduce them to Cavalry’s development system. As a fully-funded academy, there will be no cost for players joining through this pipeline.

Ever since Cavalry kicked off its in first season in 2019, the team has worked hard to lay down groundwork for this moment: the club initially fielded a U-20 side in the Alberta Major Soccer League, and two years ago formed a Cavalry FC U-21 team to participate in the newly-minted League1 Alberta.

Now, Cavalry FC II will extend the training to a year-round schedule to encourage stronger player development in the club’s own backyard.

“Cavalry FC may be a young club, but we’re proud of our rich history in supporting Alberta’s top talent,” says Cavalry FC technical director Jay Wheeldon, who once suited up for the Cavalry first team.

“Our athletes will benefit from a fully funded, year-round program with the aim to support their development. By introducing our tactical DNA at an earlier age, we aim to guide them through a holistic journey that prepares them for the demands of the professional game.”

This season has seen the academy side, formerly known as Cavalry FC U-21, field several players who have tasted first team action, like Michael Harms, Niko Myroniuk, and Chanan Chanda. This season saw the U-21 side finish in seventh out of nine teams, having finished fifth out of seven in the inaugural L1AB season beforehand.

The new full-season academy system will see the team field a League1 Alberta team under the Cavalry FC II name from April to August, but the players will actually kickstart preseason well beforehand in January, with training continuing post-season from September to mid-November after the League1 Alberta season comes to a close.

The current academy side will adopt the new moniker and post-season training schedule starting this month.

The academy team states that it will utilize its own scouting network through not only Calgary, but the entire province, to identify U-18 talent. Players rostered to clubs will be contracted directly about the possibility of integrating into the Cavalry academy system, and inviting the players to training sessions for a closer look.

“Cavalry FC II serves several important purposes within our club’s development pathway,” adds Cavalry II head coach Francesco Bartolillo, who was introduced to the role this year. “It provides young players with invaluable experience competing against a higher level of opposition and creates a path to progress into the first team environment. This allows players to grow within the club’s DNA, a crucial piece in the success of both the players and club.”

It’s been a big year for League1 Canada news coming from CPL teams, with York United confirming that it will field two League1 Ontario teams starting in 2026.

Header Image Photo Credit: James Maclennan