If you have dreams of playing football in the United States, you can get some first-hand tips from leading NFL recruiters at an upcoming event at Toronto’s Downsview Park.

The recruiters will be taking part in the Can American Football Showcase, a “combine” that’s designed to give Canadian football players the opportunity to display their skills and receive top-level instruction by experienced American coaches. It’s happening June 29.

Event organizer Paul Watkins says Canadians don’t get enough opportunities to compete at the American level.

“Football is a culture [in the U.S.],” he said. “If you want to be the best at what you do, you go to the culture. Until they go to a combine where they are being taught and looked at and competing against American kids, they will never know if and where they stack up."

Coach Bill Conley, a recruiting expert formerly at NCAA Division 1 Ohio State University, will be accompanied by his team of experienced coaches to lead the combine in Toronto. They will run drills, assess an athlete’s mental and physical toughness, and offer tips on how to improve their game. Parents will have a chance to ask questions and get briefed on U.S. scholarship opportunities.

Canadian athletes often face an uphill and expensive path to their football dream.

Aaron Watkins started his journey at the age of six in Toronto. He has been trained by his dad, Paul Watkins, for over 13 years. Over the past four years, they travelled to U.S cities, including Syracuse, Alabama and Ohio, to attend football combines. The journey was not a cheap one. They have spent more than $10,000, which covers the cost of registration, accommodation, airfare, and food.

But it’s paid off. Aaron is now a running back with Erie Community College in Buffalo, N.Y.

"Education is really good, and the opportunity to go to a Division 1 school is there," Aaron said.

The cost of the Can American Football Showcase is $155 before June 15, and $175 after that.

Watkins says "there’s a lot of kids who love the game, but can’t afford it. It's easier to bring four guys to a 1,000 kids as opposed to the other way."

Over the past five years, Watkins and his team have trained and developed more than 30 local athletes who are now south of the border at NCAA schools -- and some are now playing in the NFL.

Former CFL player Paul Blackwood will be at the Toronto combine. He says it's a great opportunity for promising young football players, especially those who want national exposure but don't have the means to get there.

Blackwood started his journey in Scarborough at Porter Collegiate and ended up with a scholarship at the University of Cincinnati. He then returned to Canada and played in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argos and B.C. Lions.

"Anytime you have the opportunity to bring in a fresh pair of eyes to look at talent in Canada, I think it’s a great opportunity."

But former CFL star Duane Forde says young athletes also need to be cautious.

"A ‘free ride’ doesn't always mean a [scholarship],” said Forde, who played 12 seasons for the Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger Cats, and now works as a broadcaster for TSN.

“Find out the legitimacy of the offer and their connection to the sport. Do not pay exorbitant recruiting fees and get the answers you need for yourself."