Q: Hey Patrick! First off congratulations on being called up to the Whitecaps 2 Team! How has your experience thus far with the Whitecaps been?
A: My experience with the Whitecaps has been tremendous so far. Being a part of the club for about 6 months now, the new level of play has helped me improve as a player very quickly.
Every single player is pushing to get to the professional level, so this makes every day on the pitch that much more competitive. As I am beginning to train with WCF2, this next level is very eye opening for me as it shows me how the professionals live and play.
Also, my U18 team had an amazing playoff run last season unbeaten in 34 games. We finished the season placing second in USSDA final in Los Angeles last July with a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in overtime.
Q: When you first joined the Whitecaps back in March, what were your first thoughts?
A: When I first joined the U18 team, I was amazed with how professional the atmosphere was in the locker room, the pitch and on our many trips to the US. There is a very high standard of responsible behaviour that is expected every time we wear our Whitecaps gear. Every time we stepped on the field, every player was fully focused and ready to battle in training. The hunger and desire from each of my teammates was something I had never experienced before and in return,
this only made me improve as a player.
Q: From your time at Fusion, what would you say is your favourite memory and why?
A: Of my many great experiences at Fusion, my most memorable experience was when we travelled to Germany and Austria in 2013. Throughout our time in Europe,
we played against many top youth teams such as FC Nurnberg and Red Bulls Salzburg. Then we went to Austria and played in one of the most renowned youth tournaments in Europe, the Cordial Cup.
Q: At Fusion you had the opportunity to work with some great coaches and go on various team trips. What piece of coaching advice will you carry with you and always remember?
A: During my 4 years at Fusion, I had many excellent coaches that taught me many different things to improve my game. The thing that stood out the most to me was how important the mental side of the game is. As a player, you can be the most technically/tactically gifted on your team or in your league, but that all means nothing if you don’t have the mental strength to take you to that next level. Now being with the Whitecaps, it is very obvious to see that those who are getting offered professional contracts are those who have the mental toughness and those who are willing to give everything each day.