Harrison Gough already knew he was headed to a new school in September. It just won't be the same one as his Cliff Drive Elementary classmates.
The Grade 7 student's transition into high school has taken an exciting twist after earning a spot on the Whitecaps F.C. Residency's U14 team.
That means the goalkeeper from Tsawwassen will be attending Prince of Wales Secondary in Vancouver with his new teammates. The school is a short drive from the new National Soccer Development Centre at UBC where the Residency teams will be training.
Gough becomes the first male player from South Delta in recent memory to be part of the prestigious all-expenses paid program that scours the entire country for talent. He earned one of two keeper positions on the U14 side after an intense three-day invitation only evaluation camp in Burnaby.
He had been scouted playing for Coastal F.C.'s U13 team in the B.C. Premier Soccer League.
"At the beginning, they put us into a room where they did measurements and vertical testing. Then we went outside where we did some sprint testing. There was also lots of passing drills too before the keepers were separated," explained Gough. "The last day was a 11v11 game."
The tryouts concluded on a Thursday and Gough got the thrilling news five days later - via email. The family will receive more details in the coming weeks but the plan is Gough will commute to school with his dad who works downtown.
"I think it is still sinking in a little bit. He has a list of goals and one of them was to make the Whitecaps Residency and he did it," smiled his mom Barb. "It was just a privilege to be at the tryouts with all those amazing kids.
"(He trains) in monsoons and mud and honestly has never said he doesn't want to come to practice. He really does love it. I really see it as a parent. I don't have to pull him out of bed."
The Goughs are grateful for their son's progress through the former Tsawwassen Soccer Club, especially his sessions with goalkeeper coach Helmut Wiebe. It was back in U9 when Harrison's coach asked him if he wanted to play in net and he discovered his passion for it. At the same time, he also continued as an out player which is vital for goalkeeper development.
"Eighty-five percent of a goalkeeper is as an out player and I have talked to many parents about that over the years," said South Delta United technical director Mark Rogers who has been working with Gough since U6. "We have been very deliberate about that where Harry got the opportunity to play out of net as much as possible.
"The biggest question when he left for Coastal was how often would he get to continue that? He is still getting that balance where he doesn't neglect his feet. (Germany's) Manuel Neuer is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and was as an out player until he was 14. People get too worked up in Canada about playing positions at a young age. Harry is a prime example of that."
Rogers added it's Gough's passion for the game and work ethic that compliments his athleticism and potential.
"Harry deserves a lot of credit. With the two clubs combining at the time, he decided to stay and put a real shift in. He looked for any extra (training) environment he could find and his parents are a good example of letting the kid decide. If it doesn't come from him it will be a short shelf life," continued Rogers. "It's really worth noting when someone has worked hard and put in that extra time. Too many people these days are looking for short cuts. We are all so super proud of him."
Gough is currently winding down his season with Coastal F.C. He made the BCPSL team last spring after attending the Intake evaluation sessions. He trains out of South Surrey Athletic Park three times a week and games are played on weekends until mid-June.
