Sara Smyth – FEATURED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

By Fusion FC

IMG_4554 (002)Q: Congratulations on joining Fusion from Burnaby. How has your Fusion experience been so far?
A: My Fusion experience so far has been wonderful. The Monday sessions have been very helpful because they allow us to focus on our individual position along with other girls in the club who play the same position. The coaching is also really great on my team. I always feel I am both encouraged and pushed in every team practice to do my best which helps and encourages me and my team mates to become better players.

Q: What do you do to prepare yourself before a game?
A: Well, I do many things before a game. I start off with doing a kick around the day before the game to stay loose. Then, I make sure I eat properly and drink lots of fluids. The night before the game, I make sure I visualize about the game and get lots of sleep. When I wake up I’m already thinking about the game. When I wake up, I stretch my body. I also listen to music on the way to the game in the car. Once, I get to the field, I always do my pre-game juggling ritual which is to get touches and control of the ball.

Q: What has been the highlight of your soccer career so far?
A: The highlight of my soccer career so far was making it to the BC Soccer Development Program Western Canada Tournament. This was at a tournament held at UBC where BC Soccer played the other Western provinces like Alberta North, Alberta South, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. After playing each of the teams, 20 girls were chosen from the 5 teams in the tournament to face off in a match called the Player of Distinction game and I got to play in that game. Another highlight was to be a Provincial Champion with my previous team.

Q: What do you love most about playing soccer?
A: The aspect I love most about soccer is how it can change in a moment. One minute you can be down by two goals, the next moment your team could take two shots that go in and tie it all up. It’s really an 80 minute game and you need to play every minute of it. This makes the game very exciting and dynamic, you have to play with energy and keep working to be successful.

Q: If you could meet any soccer player, who would you pick, and why?
A: I would love to meet Javier Hernandez, also known as “Chicharito”( Mexican National Team player). He really inspires me with his passion for the game and his work ethic, he never takes a minute on the pitch for granted. His ability to read the game and change the game with his scoring and hard work is the reason he is my favorite player. I wear his number “14” on my Fusion jersey.