About North Toronto Sentinels — North Toronto & Vaughan's Football Home
"Where Courage Meets Discipline"
"The rebrand didn't change the mission. It clarified who we're building for."
NTS started as a small flag football league in Vaughan with a simple belief: kids in North Toronto & Vaughan deserved access to quality football coaching. Six years later, that belief has grown into one of the region's most comprehensive youth football organizations — 9 programs, 6 communities, and a development pipeline that goes all the way to university placement.
NTS founded in Vaughan, Ontario with a single flag football program.
Expanded to tackle programs. First 200 registered athletes.
Launched High Performance Training stream.
Rebranded to North Toronto Sentinels. 9 active programs, 6 communities.
University Pathways program launched. First athletes placed in varsity programs.
NFL Canada Forward Pass Grant awarded — $25,000. 1,000+ athlete milestone.
Football Is The Method.
Character Is The Goal.
The Game as Classroom
Every snap is a lesson in decision-making under pressure. We use football to teach athletes how to process, adapt, and execute — skills that transfer far beyond the field.
Coaches as Mentors
Our coaching staff isn't just developing athletes. They're building relationships with young people at a formative stage of their lives. That responsibility shapes everything we do.
Community as Foundation
We serve six communities across North Toronto & Vaughan. The families who show up every weekend aren't just spectators — they're the environment in which our athletes grow. We build that culture deliberately.
NTS Holds The
NFL Canada
Forward Pass
Grant — $25,000.
The program doesn't fund every organization that applies. It identifies clubs with the coaching standards, community impact, and developmental approach that represent the future of football in Canada.
NTS earned this recognition in 2026.
The resolve to make the hard call and show resilience when circumstances are challenging. We compete without fear, we speak truthfully, and we refuse to quit on a play, a teammate, or ourselves.
"How you do one thing is how you do everything." Punctuality, preparation, and consistency. Discipline is the daily deposit that compounds into excellence over a season and a career.
We are stronger together. The Sentinels exist for the families of North Toronto and beyond — opening access for marginalized communities, visible minorities, and women as a core priority, not an afterthought.
We do what is right when no one is watching. Honest effort, fair play, and accountability to teammates and the game. "You can recruit talent, but you can't recruit accountability."
Continuous improvement over perfection. Be better today than yesterday. Every athlete, coach, and program is expected to develop — "the standard is the standard," and the standard rises.
The People Behind
The Program.
Russell Ash
On behalf of the board, staff, coaches, volunteers, and families, I am proud to be a part of an exciting new chapter in our organizational journey.
2026 marks a new era for football in Vaughan and in Toronto with a refreshed identity that reflects who we are, what we stand for, and where we are headed.
While our name, look, and voice may be evolving, our core mission remains unchanged: to serve our community with integrity, passion, and purpose. This rebrand represents growth. It honours our history while embracing the future, capturing the strength, resilience, and unity that define our organization.
Thank you for believing in our mission and standing with us as we step boldly into this next era!
Janet Vanderlaan
CFO / Treasurer / President Flag Football
Derek Booth
Director – Football Operations
Ross Asaro
Director – Title TBD
Tony Marchese
Director – Communications and Technology
Funding Programs
We believe every athlete deserves the chance to play, regardless of financial barriers. Below are programs available to help Canadian families cover sport registration costs.
Canadian Tire Jumpstart
Our organization understands that fees could be difficult for parents. We would like to provide a service that could aid families in funding their child and giving them a chance to play this amazing sport. Jumpstart is a funding program run by Canadian Tire that assists in helping get kids across Canada playing the sports they love. Feel free to check it out and see if Jumpstart is right for you!
jumpstart.canadiantire.ca
Their Opportunity
Their Opportunity is another resource for funding in Canada. Just like Jumpstart, they also provide many kids across the nation with the help they need to play the sports they love.
theiropportunity.com
KidSport
One final option we would like to provide parents with is KidSport. Feel free to view any of these sites and find the organization that is right for you and your family.
kidsportcanada.ca/ontario