U-Pro Soccer takes kick at training, technique

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This article was published 11/03/2025 (244 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

John Barbosa admits he’s not the greatest soccer player, but he hopes that won’t stop him from making a mark on the “beautiful game.”

The Winnipeg entrepreneur is the founder and CEO of U-Pro Soccer, a tech company that blends player development, video gaming and artificial intelligence. The company is eyeing a late spring release date for its first products: a lightweight training mat and AI-powered app that allows soccer players to improve their skills any time, anywhere.

Barbosa was inspired to create them after looking for ways to engage his soccer-obsessed son. “I’m just a dad creating a new toy for his kids,” the 36-year-old said.

Users will be able to download the app to a smartphone or tablet. The app serves as a personal coach for young players, offering training sessions that match their age and skill level.

As players mimic the movements on the display screen using the training mat, the app uses the smartphone’s camera to analyze movements, helping to track and improve soccer technique over time.

After each session, players get feedback showing them how much they’ve improved and what they can work on next to develop further.

The motion capture, analytics and training suggestions are powered by AI. Players can create their own unique avatar and after each training session, they unlock new levels and earn rewards such as in popular gaming platforms Fortnite and Roblox.

The app also allows players to engage in friendly competition with friends and family — which is important to Barbosa.

“We want to be a platform that can offer the kids that love soccer a tool to keep them going,” he said. “For kids that play soccer casually, we want it to be a tool that helps them bond with friends and teammates.”

Born and raised in Brazil, Barbosa has a unique history with the sport.

When his mother was four years old, Barbosa’s paternal grandfather took a job as the caretaker of a soccer pitch in Muriae, a town about 300 kilometres northwest of Rio de Janeiro. He moved his family, which included his wife and four children, into the clubhouse, where they lived until they bought a house not far from the pitch.

Barbosa grew up playing soccer on that pitch and visiting that house, which remains in his extended family to this day.

Barbosa’s son Dante, 10, has long been preoccupied by the sport. Barbosa dreamed up U-Pro Soccer to feed that passion.

In 2023, Barbosa joined North Forge and the Winnipeg not-for-profit startup incubator helped him develop his idea and create a business plan. Barbosa, who coaches soccer, says he interviewed around 500 parents to find out what they wanted to see in an online platform for soccer training.

Barbosa is a positive and tenacious person, who has taken advantage of every opportunity North Forge offers, according to Joelle Foster, president and CEO.

“He has no ego and that, I believe, has propelled him quickly,” she said. “You can’t help but want to support him.”

Barbosa’s background in industrial engineering and IT, plus his passion for soccer, make him uniquely qualified to offer U-Pro Soccer, Foster added.

“I think it’s going to shape what young soccer players are doing.”

Barbosa is the majority owner of the business, with four members of the development team joining him in the ownership group.

Barbosa has invested $50,000 of his savings into the project and received a $27,000 angel investment via a Startup TNT investment summit pitch competition. Additionally, he was awarded a $100,000 grant in November from the federal government’s ElevateIP program.

U-Pro Soccer will start a six-week beta test period in April. Barbosa and his team hope to launch the final product in June, just in time for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which is scheduled to be played in the U.S. from June 14 to July 13.

The training mat will retail for $199. A monthly subscription to the AI coaching service will cost $9.99 per player, or $19.99 for a family package.

The app will be available for free download, so any child around the world with a soccer ball and a smartphone can use it to train and connect with friends, according to U-Pro Soccer.

“Coming from Brazil, where we have soccer in our blood, we don’t pay to play the sport down there,” Barbosa said. “That was my main priority — to create something that would democratize access to quality soccer training for kids worldwide.”

It’s just the beginning, he added. Eventually, he wants to adapt the technology for every sport and fitness activity.

His six-year-old daughter, Luna, has requested a ballet version, and when he spoke with the hundreds of parents, a certain Canadian pastime was on many people’s lips.

“Nine out of 10 parents that I interviewed asked for hockey,” he said with a chuckle.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca