Soccer devotee Jens Mowatt from 100 Mile House is following his life’s dream and he would like to inspire other young people to pursue their goals.
He is passionate about his sport, and even though this is to be his secondary school graduation year, Mowatt has left his family and friends in the South Cariboo to finish school in Burnaby so he can play high-level men’s soccer.
About a year ago, he committed to a course that would take him to his goal, practising skills by himself and with his dad for endless hours each day. He kept his focus and persevered and it is paying off.
Throughout the summer, he participated in multiple tryout games with different men’s teams in the Vancouver area and he eventually got the OK from the Burnaby Sierra Football Club to play in one of their summer league games.
Mowatt impressed the team with his skill and with a spectacular goal, and they asked him to join the team for the winter season.
“I was absolutely ecstatic – the moment I had dreamed of for the past year.”
He has played in several games and says it’s rough and tough, but he feels his skills are improving each day.
“[You have] 190-pound men careening into reckless challenges at you; yelling and swearing; and bruises after almost every game. It is absolute mayhem, but I love it and I’m feeling more comfortable out there every game.”
The opportunities for this young man don’t end there, as he is also enrolled in the Simon Fraser University Soccer Clinic, which provides high-performance soccer training for select secondary school students. Soccer class is offered every other day and it fulfills students’ academic requirements for two secondary school classes in a university environment.
“It has been a lot of hard work getting to where I am, but all of it paid off. Every minute and every second of mindlessly kicking the ball against a wall practising has paid off.
“So much hard work has been done, but so much still remains to be done in my future. I’m living my dream, and I love it.”
Says his mom, Wendy Mowatt: “Jens was taught to step out bravely and boldly and advance confidently in the direction of his dreams. Although we miss his cheerful optimistic personality and his philosophies, I am not at all surprised he did just that.”
Mowatt began his soccer journey playing with the 100 Mile House & District Soccer Association and aspires to play professionally one day.
