Interviews With the Whitecaps
Written by Angela Lu
Image source: “Whitecaps FC Academy.” Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 23 Oct. 2018, www.whitecapsfc.com/whitecaps-fc-academy-program.
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If you’ve ever walked down the halls during lunch hour, or looked out a window to see bus stops near Uhill between 3rd and 4th block, or if you’ve even simply shown up to your first 3 blocks of school on any given day, you’ve probably seen a very unique and highly ambitious group of people - the players of the Whitecaps MLS Academy. These players account for a significant portion of the student body and culture here at Uhill - yet, because of differing schedules, contrasting interests, and a multitude of other reasons, many Uhillians do not actually know very much about the Whitecaps and the program they’re in. To help people understand and communicate with the Whitecaps and to gain insight into their lives, we’ve interviewed a few of these talented individuals: Bradon, Grade 9 Can you give a basic briefing about the Whitecaps program please? So they’re a program that scouts kids from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI. They put us into a team and it’s probably the highest level you can be in Canada, except for nationals, obviously. And we travel and play games almost every weekend. What was your first impression of Uhill? It looked like a really nice school, but after being here for a week I thought it was pretty hard. When did you join the Whitecaps program? I moved down to Vancouver August 18th this year, so I joined this year. What’s your biggest dream in life? To go professional in soccer. How do you balance your academic life with your soccer life? Time management. When I get home, I have to finish my schoolwork and make sure to be productive. How much time do you spend on soccer per day? Around 2 hours. What’s your favorite part of Uhill? Being around my friends all the time. All the other Whitecaps. If you had $1M, and you could spend it on anything, what would you do with it? I think I would buy a lot of soccer clothes and shoes, maybe buy a soccer field. What are some non-soccer hobbies that you have? Soccer’s always been number 1. I like drawing, though. Also FIFA, the soccer video game. Joel, Grade 9 How did you come to be involved in soccer? My brother was in soccer before me so naturally I went to soccer as well. And then I went through Langley to Surrey, and from Surrey I went to Whitecaps. What was your first impression of the Whitecaps program? Well, I liked it a lot. I liked the culture, things like having practices everyday. What do you like to do in your free time? A couple things I like to do outside of soccer: I study, I do my homework, I eat, I play FIFA. What advice would you give to younger soccer players? Fight for your dreams; one day they’ll come true. When did you join the Whitecaps? I joined this year. I did a little bit with the whitecaps program last year, but I fully joined this year. How has your life changed upon entrance to the Whitecaps program? I moved away from home. I’m living with my brother, so it’s a big change. I also switched schools. All this just made me a lot more responsible and independent because I have to do all my own stuff; I have to make my own food, I have to set regulations for myself, but other than that it’s been a pretty smooth transition. What’s your favorite subject at school? I’d say skills. If you had $1M, and you could spend it on anything, what would you do with it? I would use it to fund the school community. How are you involved in the school community at uhill? Since I’m on the Whitecaps I can’t be in extracurriculars at Uhill because that’s when we have practices. I just try to be a nice student to the other kids. Lucas, Grade 9 What’s your biggest dream in your soccer career? To play for the Canadian National Team. How did you come to be involved in the Whitecaps program? I was playing at my local club fusion, and from there we had multiple coaches and scouts to select us to the team. How much free time do you have on your device? That depends on the week. If we have an intense load with multiple games that week, it could be 5-10 minutes a day. If it’s a less intensive load that week, it could be anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half on my device. Who’s one person you really look up to? I really look up to Ronaldo. He works hard, and he tries to critique everything he does, so I base my work ethic on him. What’s your favorite part of Whitecaps program? I would definitely say its the soccer part. I get to play with the best players in the province, and the best coaches possible - the soccer component is definitely best. What’s your favorite part of Uhill? I love the facilities, and I love the teachers, they’re really kind. What’s your least favorite part of Uhill? The homework. In my old school, I barely had any homework. Now I have a lot of homework, and it’s really difficult. If you had $1M, and you could spend it on anything, what would you do with it?[= Honestly, I’m not really money-motivated right now. So, I’d either donate the $1M or invest it in some kind of stock. Can you walk me through a day in your life? I wake up at 7am. I shower and eat, then I go to the bus stop at around 8am. I bus to school and get here around 8:35-8:40am. From there, I have 3 blocks of school. Then I train at around 2pm. After I train, I do recovery, which takes a couple of hours. I leave the facility around 5-6pm, and I come home from the facility at around 7pm. I do some homework, and I go to bed at around 9-9:30pm. |