Connecting communities through sport: Chevrolet and MLS announce 2026 'Chevrolet Driven FC' youth soccer experience. Sep 18, 2026, 11:50 ET Empowering Next-Generation Canadian Talent, National Partnership Celebrates Grassroots Soccer with Young Athletes TORONTO, Sept. 18, 2026 /CNW/ - Chevrolet and Major League Soccer (MLS) today announced the return of the Chevrolet Driven FC youth soccer experience. This national initiative is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating deserving young soccer players across Canada who display hustle, heart, and grit both on the pitch and within their local communities. Scheduled for later this month, the program will deliver unforgettable opportunities for young players to train, learn, and interact directly with professional players from Canada's three MLS clubs: Toronto FC, CF Montréal and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The 2026 Chevrolet Driven FC tour will visit each host city on the following dates: * Toronto, ON (Toronto FC): Sunday, September 20, 2026 at BMO Training Grounds * Montreal, QC (CF Montréal): Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at Stade Saputo * Vancouver, BC (Vancouver Whitecaps FC): Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the National Soccer Development Centre Each event will host up to 85 selected youth soccer players. Across all three dates, young athletes will hone their skills through interactive training drills, build lasting friendships, and participate in candid Q&A sessions with first-team MLS players. MLS Player Mentorship A headline feature of the experience is the direct involvement of premier professional soccer talent. Several first-team MLS players from each club will participate on field across their respective events to lead drills, share career advice, and mentor participants. Featured players include Toronto FC defender/midfielder Richie Laryea, along with Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Sam Adekugbe. Together with additional first-team players and club representatives across all three markets, they will help deliver an unmatched mentorship experience for Canada's young aspiring soccer players. "Major League Soccer is proud to collaborate with Chevrolet on an initiative that brings young players closer to the game and the athletes who inspire them," said Diego Moratorio, General Manager, MLS Canada. "Chevrolet Driven FC creates meaningful access for youth across Canada while supporting our shared commitment to growing soccer at the grassroots level." Community-Driven Nomination Process The nomination process for Chevrolet Driven FC is led directly by each host MLS club and actively supported by local Chevrolet dealerships through community outreach initiatives. The participating clubs engage with local youth leagues, schools, and community organizations to identify deserving young athletes, with local dealerships providing essential support to help bring these opportunities to their surrounding neighborhoods. "At Chevrolet, we believe in the power of sport to unite communities and inspire the next generation of leaders and athletes," said Lauren MacDonald, Chief Marketing Officer, General Motors Canada. "Partnering with MLS allows us to deliver unique experiences directly to local youth. Chevrolet Driven FC is about removing barriers, celebrating community spirit, and giving young players memories that will stay with them forever." How to Nominate a Youth Player There is still time remaining for community members to nominate deserving youth soccer players for this year's events. To submit a nomination for an inspiring young player in your community, please visit the nomination page. For more information about the Chevrolet Driven FC program, please visit www.drivenfc.ca About Chevrolet Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features, and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.ca/en. About Major League Soccer (MLS) Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer - celebrating its 31st season in 2026 - features 30 clubs throughout the United States and Canada. All MLS and Leagues Cup matches can be watched on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com, and features the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming ever for MLS fans. For more information about MLS, visit mlssoccer.com. For more information about the Apple TV app, visit apple.com/apple-tv-app. SOURCE Chevrolet Canada Andrew Slock, Weber Shandwick, [email protected]

New York University athletics unveils transformative Performance Elevation initiative. Unprecedented collaboration of resources available for student-athletes. Under the direction of New York University Director of Athletics Jake Olkkola and Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Health and Performance Nikki Webb, NYU has launched a groundbreaking Performance Elevation initiative designed to redefine how the NYU student-athlete trains and recovers. Built on innovation, collaboration, and an unprecedented investment in the holistic development of student-athletes, the initiative brings together an integrated ecosystem of resources and expertise designed to elevate performance, health, well-being, and personal development. Drawing on resources and practices traditionally found only within professional sports and leading Division I programs, NYU is creating a model that is truly distinctive at the Division III level. By bringing together high-level performance science, health and wellness, mental performance, nutrition, recovery, and other specialized resources, Performance Elevation will provide NYU's student-athletes with the tools, expertise, and support necessary to perform at their highest level, both in competition and in life. This is an investment not simply in winning, but in creating an exceptional and transformative student-athlete experience at NYU. "The holistic nature of this enterprise has been years in the making," Olkkola revealed. "Piece by piece, we have built something that is truly unique. There is nothing more important than the health, wellbeing, and performance of our student-athletes, and our goal is to give them access to the very best care, expertise, and technology to help them perform at the highest level." Webb, who most recently served as Manager, Player Health & Performance for Major League Soccer (MLS) before taking her current role at NYU, heads a Performance Elevation Team which includes nine athletic trainers, five performance strength coaches, four mental performance specialists, including one dedicated endurance sport specialist, two sport dietitians, and a performance science data analyst. All of these areas will work together as one combined group in order to provide the best possible care and guidance for student-athlete performance. "I am excited about this next phase of growth for NYU Athletics," Webb said. "When you bring training, nutrition, mental wellbeing, medicine, and recovery into the same room, everything changes for the student-athlete. Instead of piecing together their own support network, we surround them with a whole team working in sync to help them feel, think and perform at their absolute best." Integrating this array of disciplines creates a unified support system that optimizes student-athlete potential on and off the field. Each discipline provides specialized value, from fueling exertion and tracking physical workload to sharpening mental resilience and safeguarding health. The true impact of this model occurs when these fields converge around a single athlete or a team. NYU has finished within the top-10 of the Division III Learfield Directors Cup standings in each of the last three seasons, including a seventh-place showing last year. "In the increasingly competitive landscape of collegiate athletics, we believe this is a defining point of distinction for NYU," Olkkola added. "We are creating an elite destination where talented student-athletes can train, compete, and grow, while supported by an unparalleled performance ecosystem in the heart of New York City."

Middlesex County lands new MLS NEXT Pro soccer club. The basics: * New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro soccer club to debut in Middlesex County * Team home will be at $350M NEXUS sports and entertainment district * First match scheduled for July 2027 * Middlesex County to become New York City FC Youth Programs' regional hub Middlesex County, you're getting a professional soccer club. On Sept. 2, officials gathered at Major League Soccer's headquarters in New York City to unveil plans to bring MLS NEXT Pro soccer to the county. Leaders from Hometown Soccer Holdings, New York City FC, MLS NEXT Pro and Middlesex County announced that New York City FC II will begin a new chapter under HSH. The club will initially be known as New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro. The team will eventually be given a new identity - including a name, colors and crest - that reflects the Middlesex County region. The community will be invited to weigh in on the branding, officials said. Part of the county's Community, Innovation and Opportunity (CIO) Strategic Investment Plan, the hub is scheduled to open this fall. The team will play its first match in July 2027. "Bringing professional soccer to Middlesex County, and its almost 900,000 residents, will make us an exciting new sports destination in New Jersey," Middlesex County Commissioner Director Ronald Rios said in a statement, adding that the club will "entice more visitors to our region." How it started. In April, MLS and private equity firm KKR announced a strategic investment to grow MLS NEXT Pro. The entities formed Hometown Soccer Holdings to serve as the collaboration's "commercial engine," according to the spring unveiling. New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro will be the first club to relaunch under the partnership. "This is exactly the kind of opportunity we envisioned when MLS partnered with KKR and Hometown Soccer Holdings to accelerate the growth of MLS NEXT Pro," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "As the first club to relaunch under that partnership, New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro represents an important step in the league's next chapter by strengthening player development and bringing professional soccer closer to more communities," Garber added. Officials noted the team will continue to serve as New York City FC's MLS NEXT Pro affiliate and that New York City FC will continue to oversee the team's sporting operations. After the World Cup. Gov. Mikie Sherrill was on hand for the announcement. "New Jersey is a soccer state, and today we're once again giving fans across the Garden State a team to call their own," Sherrill said. "Bringing professional soccer to NEXUS gives fans in the heart of our state a team to rally behind while creating new opportunities for athletes and strengthening our state's growing sports economy." New Jersey and New York are still basking in the glow of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which generated $3.5 billion in total economic impact across the region. Officials say the tournament and community investments surrounding the event inspired the next generation of soccer players. 'Join' the team. * New Jersey MLS NEXT Pro founding membership info can be found here. * Youth program info can be found here. Building on that momentum, Middlesex County will become the second official New York City FC Youth Programs' Regional Hub. In 2027, the organization will establish a new youth soccer club in the county with teams and programming for kids from ages 3 to 18. Rios added, "The Board of County Commissioners and I know that this new club will bolster soccer culture in our region and attract new interest for the sport, especially among our youth." "Professional soccer belongs in communities like Middlesex County, New Jersey," said Tom Glick, CEO of Hometown Soccer Holdings. "The county's remarkable diversity, deep soccer culture, and passion for the game make this the right place to build something lasting."