As a little kid, Joseph Seward told his parents he wanted to be a professional soccer player.
Joseph’s father, Joe Seward, thought it was an unlikely dream.
But now Joseph, 14, has been offered an opportunity that makes his dream look a little more possible — a spot in a 10-month training program with Real Madrid Football Club in Spain.
“It’s a grand opportunity for him to participate in, to possibly make it in the sport he loves,” Joe Seward said.
Father and son just returned to their home in Tsartlip First Nation from Joseph’s third training trip to Spain. They stayed two weeks in the dorms Joseph has been invited to live in next fall while training.
Joseph caught the club’s attention last summer at a camp hosted by Real Madrid representatives at the Pacific Institute for Sport Education.
Of 125 athletes, just five, including Joseph, were selected to go to Madrid to train at Real Madrid’s official facilities. That opportunity led to two more trips and now the offer to spend the school year studying in Madrid and training with the academy team.
Scouts from high-level teams, including teams in La Liga, the men’s top professional soccer division of Spain’s soccer league, will attend weekend games, offering Joseph the chance to show off his skills.
While a little nervous at first about spending nearly a year away from his family and tight-knit community, Joseph said he’s excited to meet other young people who love soccer as much as he does and to learn a new style.
Joseph currently plays in the Gorge Soccer Association and on W̱SÁNEĆ United, a men’s team that competes against other teams from First Nations across the province.
Gord Elliott, who has coached Joseph on W̱SÁNEĆ United, said he’s a creative player, and a hard worker who is dedicated to the sport.
Elliott said the whole W̱SÁNEĆ community is proud of Joseph and many are watching his soccer journey with excitement.
The Real Madrid offer is an acknowledgement of his talent and “a step in the right direction” for a young teen who hopes to go professional.
While others in the community have shown similar talent, Joseph is the first to pursue a huge opportunity like this, Elliott said.
“I think there’s a social barrier that exists within First Nations communities and non-First Nations communities that he’s breaking. He’s bridging that gap,” Elliott said.
There can be socioeconomic barriers to the costs of pursuing these big dreams, and a reluctance to step outside the comfort zone of their community, he said.
“We’ve been just waiting for that one athlete to get out there and break that barrier and get out there and prove themselves,” Elliott said. “Because I think once it’s done once, you’re going to see many more athletes and soon enough, we’re going to have a professional soccer player from the W̱SÁNEĆ community.”
Joseph and his dad were welcomed home from Spain a few days ago with a small parade and neighbours lined up outside their house.
“We come from a small community here in Tsartlip and Joseph is taking strides. Everybody is very proud of him,” Seward said.
The family is trying to raise funds to support Joseph’s dream. The 10-month program costs about $60,000.
Anyone wishing to contribute can do so through an online fundraiser at https://www.gofundme.com/f/once-in-a-lifetime-official-real-madrid-trip or contact Joseph’s mother at [email protected].
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