At just 16 years old, this is Sam Misquitta's second invitation to play soccer in Europe. In August, the Squamish-based teen will take his soccer skills to Madrid for a weeklong training program.
His North Vancouver FC team nominated Misquitta. Clubs around Canada choose one player to represent them, and Misquitta's club sent a player profile of their young star. He didn't have videos of past games or practices, so they used footage from a recent tournament.
"I was really excited because I didn't think I was going to get accepted," he said.
He's not too sure why he was selected, but anyone following the young player's time on the field may have more insight.
Misquitta has been kicking it since he was five, playing in Squamish's house league. At 11 years old, he started playing a year up, joining older teams. He's been playing for the North Vancouver Metro team since he was 13.
The Madrid program won't be the first time Misquitta has been invited to play soccer in Europe. The first was FC Barcelona in 2016, where he played in the fifth international tournament hosted by FCB Escola.
"I've just always liked soccer, playing with a team and learning new leadership roles," Misquitta told The Chief.
To get ready for his upcoming journey, Misquitta has been playing a lot of soccer outside.
"I have to start getting used to the heat. I've talked to a lot of other players and their parents who went last year and the year before, and they said to prepare for the heat because I might get heat stroke," he said.
Once there, Misquitta said he's looking forward to working with the Madrid academy's experienced coaches.
"I hope I'll learn a lot from them and just improve my game."
