By Kendra Lee
Get To Know A National Team Player: The Next Generation
Name: Tristan Borges
Age: 17
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Vaughan, Ontario
Current Club: TFC Academy, League 1 Ontario
The next generation of the Canadian National Team are already training to represent their country on the international stage. Tristan Borges grew up just outside of Toronto and his love for soccer began when he started to kick a ball around at the age of three. Since then, with the support of his family, he joined his first team, got down to the business of training, and has never looked back. He’s already appeared for Canada, scoring a goal against Mexico in the CONCACAF U-17 Championship this year, and now he’s been called to the U-20 camp. We had the chance to chat about the beautiful game at the last Canada camp in September.
When did you start playing soccer?
When I was 3 years old. I played house league for about 3 years and my first REP team going in was Vaughan. I played with them for a couple of years and then I made the switch to Kleinburg. And then after Kleinburg, I went to West Toronto and then from West Toronto, I’m on the TFC Academy now.
What got you hooked on playing soccer?
To be honest, I was always a person who liked to play sports. Sports were something that I always loved to do. And when I was at a young age and to be honest, my family’s not really a soccer family, it was more football. But when I was younger I used to always just kick a ball and then I just started to fall in love with the sport.
Who helped you develop most in your youth soccer?
As a young child, I think my dad. My dad was a big inspiration on me, always pushing me to be better. In terms of a trainer, when I got a little bit older towards 8 or 9 years old I met a trainer named Angelo and technically he helped me a lot to where I am today. But in terms of pushing me to be better and pushing me because they love me and they want to see me succeed it’s my father.
Are there any challenges you find you’re facing as you transition into a professional career?
One challenge I see that I face a lot is my size. I’m a little bit smaller than everybody else but to be honest with you in a game I really don’t see any fear. I take everything as a challenge and I try to conquer it. So I don’t look at any game different. I just look according to the game and I try to play my best and try to do what I can.
What are you learning about the game and about yourself as you progress?
As I get older I realize that the game does get much quicker and it’s not all about technical skills. It’s also mental ability; reading the game, the physicality, you always have to be fit. It’s more of a mental challenge as you start to get older and that’s why when you do get older, you can’t just focus on your technical ability. You also have to study the game and you have to be more mentally prepared for every game going in.
How do you get mentally prepared?
Everybody has a different way but to be honest with you, I like to get in my own zone before every game; listen to my music and I just start to focus on the opponent, what I’ve got to do to help my team and try to see if we can get a good result.
How do you hope or think the national program is going to develop in the next few years?
Well, I’ve been with the national program for about a year and a half. So far every time that I’ve been to a camp, it keeps on getting better. I think the program is fantastic and my inspiration is to go to the first team. But I think the program is getting much better. They really are focusing on developing the kids more and so far every camp that I go to just keeps on getting better.
How do you hope the sport in Canada is going to grow in the future?
I really think it’s starting to develop more actually. Before, nobody really took Canada Soccer seriously. But now I think that a lot of kids are really starting to grow and come up from Canada and are starting to put our name on the board. And I think Canada Soccer is getting a little bit bigger now.