A Squamish teen will be the captain of a soccer team representing Canada in Europe.
Colby Venekamp has been chosen by B.C.鈥檚 European Football School to compete across the pond during the March break.
The 16-year-old Howe Sound student has been training with that program for 12 years and has been selected by the club to join them in a soccer tour across the continent.
This two-week trip will take the athletes to Munich, Linz, Vienna, Ljubljana and Zagreb.
Athletes in this group are hand-picked from across B.C. by coaches Saibo Talic and Amar Talic.
聽Venekamp said that if things go his way, he may turn a few heads.
鈥淚 know there鈥檚 going to be scouts at lots of the games we play, and that鈥檚 something that kind of interests me,鈥� said Venekamp. 鈥淗aving the opportunity to be scouted would be amazing. That鈥檚 kind of what I want.鈥�
Venekamp is no stranger to competition. On top of this being the second time he鈥檚 been invited on the European tour, he鈥檚 been playing soccer since a young age.
He said that his father was a fan of the game, and he got his start playing with him.
鈥淢y dad played it, and then my brother played, and I was just always around the soccer field,鈥� said Venekamp.
鈥淎nd so, I just started kicking soccer balls around and started playing with my dad and joined a U6 team for Squamish and ever since then, I鈥檝e been playing.鈥�
For Venekamp, even in a place like Squamish, where you can do most any kind of activity, soccer is still special.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a sport that my family has loved. It鈥檚 a sport that I love,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 find it so much fun playing a sport where I鈥檓 part of a team.鈥�
The road to Europe hasn鈥檛 been easy.
Venekamp said that between playing on a Squamish team and playing for the European Football School, he clocks in six days a week on the field.
He鈥檚 also been doing CrossFit classes to stay conditioned.
鈥淚鈥檝e been preparing for this for a while,鈥� Venekamp said.
He said that playing professional soccer is a goal he鈥檚 considering 鈥� and it doesn鈥檛 matter which team picks him, so long as he gets to participate in the sport he loves.
鈥淎s long as I get to play soccer, I鈥檓 happy,鈥� Venekamp said.
*Please note, the photo credit on this story has been updated to include the photographer, The Chief did not have this information when when we went to press.
