Playing U-11, U-12, and U-13 with Albion FC in Maple Ridge, we had a very hard but fair coach, Shawn Hurren, who taught me some really important lessons on dealing with setbacks.
After last Saturday鈥檚 defeat away to York United in Toronto, we were all very frustrated not to build on the momentum of the previous week when we qualified for our first-ever Canadian Championship semifinal 鈥� which is on Aug. 13 at Willoughby Stadium in 黑马磁力.
Shawn was very hard on us, but in a good way. He wanted us to become very mentally tough.
I was always younger on those teams and played a year or two up on age groups, and we were a young team in general. We would be losing a lot, which was fine he鈥檇 tell us as long as we had a positive finish to the game and kept on fighting.
He was able to show us how that would make you feel better, regardless of the result.
For me, especially, he was one of the ones who helped me realize how I could lift everyone else around me, as well as myself. Soccer is full of highs and lows, probably with more setbacks overall.
At Vancouver FC, there鈥檚 definitely been a lot of ups and downs this season. But my mindset is every day and every week, if we stay mentally strong, focused, and keep pushing through and looking for consistent improvement, it will eventually work out.
It鈥檚 the very same in gametime 鈥� ever since those youth days my coaches have always focused on 鈥渏ust move on to the next one.鈥�
The idea is just forgetting about that play, whether it鈥檚 good or bad, and remaining positive and moving onto the next job. In my game I like to play forward and go at defenders so that positivity is very important and always believing that even if you make a mistake, keep going, keep staying positive, and it will work out in the end.
I can think of several times where I鈥檝e messed up 鈥� almost gave a goal away in the process 鈥� but then I just quickly refocused to the next thing. My teammates continued to encourage me and I went on to score or create the winning goal.
And that鈥檚 sport. If you sit there and dwell on it, it will keep dragging you down more and more.
Yes it happened, but we move on. Bad move, bad game, bad result. Believe in yourself and it will come good for you.
After last weekend鈥檚 defeat we all stayed in the hotel together that night so that low feeling was still there probably all the way until we got home the next day.
From there though, the biggest thing for me is being with my family. Just having that reset, hanging out, taking my mind off the game for that day or two 鈥� it helps a lot and and then we come back in a more positive manner to start the new match week fresh again.
I see that鈥檚 what a lot of the more experienced lads do, and us younger players are always learning from them, including on the mental side. As a club we really do focus on that developmental side of things given how many young local players are involved in the squad, pushing hard to take the next step.
As well as family time, listening to music is the other go-to which helps me bounce back from tough times.
Whether on a recovery run or out exploring the province with my girlfriend, music will usually be involved.
On Sunday after the loss, I spent the day with my girlfriend Tegan 鈥� who has got me into country music lately鈥� and we were listening to 鈥�7 Summers鈥� by Morgan Wallen.
But ask anyone in the club and they鈥檒l tell you, I鈥檓 the DJ in the locker room. I love playing hip-hop, R&B, and reggae. We鈥檝e actually had some great results listening to a bit of rock music before matches too.
This Friday night though as we look to get back on track at home to Valour, the best soundtrack to help us on our way will be the support and positivity of our fans in the stands.
鈥� Taryck Jordan Tahid, 18, is a Maple Ridge local playing midfield for Vancouver FC soccer team, who is writing a regular column through to the end of the season. In 2023 he became the youngest player to sign and appear in a CPL match at 16, and then the youngest goal-scorer in league history. He played for Canada in the U17 World Cup, and has since represented Ghana in the U20 African Cup of Nations. Watch for the weekly feature online at mapleridgenews.com.
