How Codiac Soccer Became One of NB’s Most Complete Clubs — and Why Newcomers Are Part of the Story
Walk into the offices of Codiac Soccer on Russ Howard Drive in Moncton on a Tuesday morning and you’re likely to hear three or four languages before you reach the front desk. That’s not an accident — it’s a reflection of something deliberately built over many years at the club that bills itself as the largest recreational soccer club in New Brunswick’s east region.
With more than 1,300 members ranging from age five to senior, Codiac Soccer has grown from a modest community club founded in 1998 into something closer to a full-service soccer ecosystem. And one of its most compelling offerings is something you won’t find everywhere: a program specifically designed to welcome newcomers to the city.
Newcomer Nights: A Door Left Open
Codiac Soccer’s Newcomer Nights program runs dedicated sessions designed to welcome people who have recently arrived in Moncton. The concept is straightforward — give newcomers a low-pressure, welcoming environment to play the world’s most universal game, meet people, and find a foothold in the community.
It matters more than it might seem. Moncton’s francophone and newcomer population has grown significantly over the past several years, driven by immigration targets from Ottawa and the province’s own efforts to address labour shortages and demographic gaps. Soccer — the game played everywhere from West Africa to Latin America to Southeast Asia — is often the first common language new Canadians reach for.
Codiac has recognized that, and built infrastructure around it.
From Grassroots to High Performance — Under One Roof
What makes Codiac Soccer unusual for a mid-sized Canadian city is the breadth of what it offers. On the recreational side, Grassroots programs begin at age four and run through to age 12. House League covers ages 13 to 18 and Senior Women. At the competitive end, the First Touch program fields teams from U9 through Senior Men and Women in the New Brunswick Soccer League and NBPSL.
Beyond league play, Codiac operates a Skill Center aimed at U11 and U12 players focused on fundamental development. Goalkeeper training is run by coaches with university-level experience. A University and Pro Prep stream exists for advanced players looking to take the next step toward varsity or professional opportunities. The club also runs summer camps including a partnership camp with Benfica’s development academy — a partnership that would turn heads in much larger cities.
A Volunteer-Driven Model
Despite its scale, Codiac Soccer remains a non-profit run by a volunteer board of directors elected by its members. Three full-time staff handle day-to-day administration and technical direction, but the lifeblood of the club is the army of volunteer coaches and parents who show up every week.
This is true of most NB soccer clubs, and it’s worth pausing on. The competitive soccer programs that produce Team NB players, the recreational leagues that get kids off screens and onto pitches, the inclusive programs that welcome newcomers — all of it runs on community goodwill and volunteer hours. In an era where youth sport is becoming increasingly professionalized and expensive, that community model is both fragile and worth celebrating.
What Codiac Shows Us About NB Soccer
At a provincial level, Codiac Soccer is one of only a handful of clubs in New Brunswick designated as a Super Club by Soccer NB — meaning it meets the highest standards for programming, development pathways, and organizational structure.
For a province that often struggles to keep youth engaged in sport as they age into their teens, Codiac’s model offers a blueprint: broad entry points for beginners, pathways for competitive players, and deliberate inclusion for people who might otherwise have nowhere to play. Add the newcomer programming and you have a club that understands soccer’s role not just as a sport, but as a community institution.
Greater Moncton is lucky to have it.
Want to register or get involved with Codiac Soccer? Visit codiacsoccer.ca or drop by their office at 55 Russ Howard Drive, Moncton.