Warning! This interview is highly recommended for any kids who aspire to go pro.
The first time I saw Joel Waterman playing soccer was when he was playing for Cavalry FC under head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Joel was so good in the inaugural season of the CPL that Club De Foot Montreal signed him and became the first team to sign a player from the CPL, and Joel became the first-ever player that started out in the CPL to go to the MLS.
Since that defining moment, Joel Waterman has received multiple call ups to the Canadian senior Men's National Team.
We had a great conversation. Joel left a huge impression on me. If you have watched our previous interviews, you know how much I believe that having the "right" mindset can get you through anything. Listening to Joel I was impressed by his attitude, mindset, and discipline. In fact, there is one thing he said will stay with me, and I think this is part of the secret to his incredible ascent is:
Joel Waterman"The most supernatural thing we can do is be consistent."
During our interview, our goal is to get into the soccer journey of our guests. We want to know how they fell in love with soccer, how they realized that soccer was the path they wanted to take, what drove them to pursue their football goal with passion, and what set them apart from the rest.
We loved getting into Joel's journey, from the love of soccer shared by his whole family, Saturday morning games, and how his Dad was instrumental in developing his skills, getting him to understand the importance of "getting good at the basics."
We also talked about the defining moments in his career, starting with the CPL to his move to the MLS and coaching with Thierry Henry. We delve into the changes he made to his game when he went from a CDM to a CB, what its like to be a ball-carrying center back (CB), his playing style and who he likes to watch and emulate.
We also covered his Ambassadorship with Kidsport and other passion projects that are important to him. To wrap up the interview, we asked Joel some fun Rapid Fire Questions to get to know him better!
Watching the interview, you can see that each answer was given with much thought and reflection. This is an incredibly in-depth interview and I want to thank Joel for getting into his journey and inspiring me and others to pursue our dreams.