麻豆社区

The good old days are still vivid memories for Dawson鈥檚 Callum Wood Ryan.

The 16-year-old soccer 麻豆社区recently wrapped up his first season with the Real Salt Lake youth academy in Casa Grande, Ariz., when his U18 team was bumped from State Cup competition.

鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy,鈥� Wood Ryan said this week. 鈥淚鈥坓rew up in Dawson and I never even played outdoor until I was 10 years old.

鈥淚 remember playing in the school gym Wednesday nights once a week, and then on the weekends with my buddies,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淚 never even joined the Yukon Strikers until I鈥坵as 12 and I鈥坉idn鈥檛 even make my first Arctics 鈥� I was cut.

鈥淪o if I can do it, other kids can too, as long as they put their minds to it. They鈥檝e got to want it more than anything else.鈥�

Wood Ryan became the first Yukoner to join a professional soccer academy full-time last summer.

In 30-plus games, the left midfielder scored two goals while playing more of a 鈥減rovider鈥� role with the elite U17 squad 鈥� a first year program for the Arizona academy.

鈥淥ur team was actually pretty good,鈥� Wood Ryan told the Star.

However, due to a shortage of players on the U18 squad, Wood Ryan was one of the players called up for the senior group鈥檚 playoff run 鈥� which ended after just three games.

Wood Ryan said his season felt surreal at times.

The youngster landed his position on the team following a six-week training camp last summer.

His daily schedule included before-school workouts at the academy gym, followed by after-school training and workouts five days a week. Games were played on the weekend.

鈥淭he facilities are crazy,鈥� said the Grade 11 student. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e $20 million facilities.

There鈥檚 eight fields, six of them lighted.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge indoor centre where the gym and the classrooms and study rooms are. The dorms are right on the complex, too. I鈥坵ake up and walk 30 seconds to the gym and the fields.

鈥淚t鈥檚 what I dreamed about ever since I was a kid.鈥�

He was one of two Canucks on the Real Salt Lake U17 roster.

Winnipeg鈥檚 Aaron Hidalgo-Mazzei just got called up to play left back for Canada鈥檚 U18 national team.

Wood Ryan鈥檚 training will continue until late May, and he is expecting to return to Whitehorse for at least a month this summer.

He said he has received an invitation to return to the academy next season, but is weighing his options to see what is best for his career.

Wood Ryan said his hope is to play college soccer and then attempt to go pro.

According to the club鈥檚 website, Grande Sports Academy is the only full-time residential academy affiliated with a Major League Soccer team.

U.S. Soccer named the facility the West Conference鈥檚 Best Training Facility for the past two seasons.