Should I try out for FC Supra? The doubts are creeping in. Registration for open tryouts just launched, and I can’t help but wonder if I’m out of my mind. I’ll likely be twice the average age of the others registered to make their dreams of becoming a professional soccer player a reality. And are any of us going to qualify anyway? Aside from 4 separate venues (i.e., 4 distinct tryouts) to pass over the course of a single weekend, we could expect that the starting line-up (at least) is already set. It’s understandable since the province of Quebec already has a strong semi-pro league to pull experienced (some national-team) players from. Regardless, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime, and I do feel that the organization is genuinely hoping to find their local Maradona and/or Pelé, hidden in the rough, so to speak.
I did hesitate for a few moments… Long enough for tryout #1 (which was a 5-minute drive from our apartment) to be exhausted. It’s likely for the best, though, since tryout #2 (which I did sign up for) will allow me a few extra hours of much-needed rest; it’s the day after my kids’ second-favorite holiday (that being Halloween, of course), after all!
In all seriousness, I’m gonna do my absolute best at the tryout. I’m not quite sure if it’ll consist of performance drills, free kick target practice, orchestrated pass plays, or just scrimmaging (since they may put us up against the regional semi-pro team that regularly plays at the venue)… But I’ll be giving it my all, either way. Supposedly, scouts from the CPL are also going to be there. I find it cool, but I’m a local boy wanting to play with my home team.
I’ve got 11 more days to prepare. It’s not much, but it’s something. During this time, I need to remember who I was growing up (a kid obsessed with soccer) and the man I am today (a stronger, wiser, more confident version of that kid). FC Supra may not pick me to join them in the CPL. They may discount me altogether simply based on my age (and most wouldn’t fault them for that). But I need to do this, for myself, and for my family. I wish I had taken a similar leap decades ago (just like Craig Forrest did, when showing up on the steps of his first [English] Premier League team’s headquarters at only 16 years of age). But that wasn’t me. I wasn’t ready. Oddly enough, while my body may prove to show its age during the tryout, I’m ready now. I’m honestly not doing it for closure, or for fifteen minutes of fame… I just want to play for love of the sport, and if I can hold onto that passion during the tryout, maybe a miracle will happen. Being the oldest player in the CPL would be interesting.