Professional Footballers Association Canada 555 Richmond St W Suite 1200 Toronto, Ontario M5V 3B1 Tel +1 416 968 3333 Fax +1 416 968 0325
MEDIA RELEASE | February 25, 2025
Onrise Official Mental Health Provider of PFA Canada
Toronto (February 25, 2025)
Professional Footballers Association Canada (PFA Canada) is pleased to announce that Onrise – a leading mental health service provider dedicated to supporting elite athletes throughout North America – is now the union’s Official Mental Health Provider.
“Since forming PFA Canada, we’ve worked through advocacy, collective bargaining and strategic partnerships to create an environment where our members feel supported on and off-the-pitch,” said Marco Carducci, President of PFA Canada. “With Onrise, we’re prioritizing athlete mental wellness alongside the pursuit of athletic excellence – and ensuring our members thrive as people too.”
At no cost to PFA Canada members, athletes can access fully confidential, reliable mental health support and guidance – while reducing the stigma of seeking help and fostering a culture of openness and care within professional football. The services provided by PFA Canada and Onrise will span a full two-year period and will begin during the preseason, ensuring players have resources and support prior to the start of the 2025 campaign.
"We are delighted that PFA Canada has entrusted Onrise to support its athletes' mental health. Onrise's unique peer support model pairs current athletes with retired athletes who have shared experience playing at elite levels and working through challenges that high-performing athletes face." said Kimberly Quigley, M.D., CEO of Onrise. "We look forward to supporting PFA Canada members to enable them to succeed on the pitch and beyond."
Onrise is no stranger to professional soccer players' associations as it currently partners with the MLS Players Association, the USL Players Association, and the US Women’s National Team Players Association in addition to providing services to Inter Miami CF, The Philadelphia Union Academy, the Professional Women’s Hockey League, the Premier Lacrosse League, and all three women’s professional volleyball leagues in the United States, among others.
To learn more about Onrise and the services they offer, please visit Onrise Athlete Mental Health Care and Support or contact, in confidence, PFA Canada.
ABOUT PFA CANADA
Founded in 2020, PFA Canada is the labour union and collective bargaining agent for athletes competing in Canada’s male first division, the Canadian Premier League. PFA Canada also represents Canadian athletes competing outside of the country in non-union leagues who require assistance in matters related to their employment contracts and conditions. PFA Canada is a member-run organization, directed by and for the players.
ABOUT ONRISE
Onrise provides mental health care and support that athletes trust and want to use. We provide a turnkey mental health solution for professional, collegiate and youth leagues, clubs, teams, players associations and other sports organizations. Onrise’s unique telehealth solution leverages untapped networks of retired athletes to offer mental health peer support, plus access to therapy and psychiatry. By utilizing retired athletes and clinicians, we understand the unique challenges and pressures that athletes face and provide athlete-specific mental health care and support that is accessible, relatable and affordable. To learn how Onrise could provide mental health care for your organization, please visit onrisecare.com or contact Brad Ring, SVP of Sales, at brad.ring@onrisecare.com.
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