Most 15-year-olds in Kenora are settling into their March Break, but for Scanlon Wiebe, he is preparing for one of the most important weekends of his young soccer career.
Wiebe along with his Manitoba MLS Boys Prospect team will be traveling to Vancouver to take part in the Whitecaps FC Academy Centre Combine from April 4-7, 2022.
“It’s really exciting,” said Wiebe. “I went the year the before (2019) and did really well I was just too young and couldn’t stay there. Then COVID happened I was supposed to go again but it's great things are finally opening up again and I can try out.”
The combine gives the Whitecap FC scouts an opportunity to scouts players for their Whitecap FC Boys MLS Academy and the Girls Elite REX program.
The hope for the Kenora product from this combine is to be selected for the Whitecaps Residency Program, which could lead him to a pro contract with the Vancouver-based club.
Scanlon’s father, Lyle Wiebe sees this combine as a great opportunity for his son to take that next step in his soccer career.
“The time and dedication that Scanlon has put in. I have to give him a lot of credit, and it makes me very proud,” says Lyle.
While at the combine Wiebe who is a centre attacking midfielder will go through training sessions led by the Whitecaps followed by three matches against other prospect programs. His team will be taking on BMO Academy teams from Newfoundland, Ontario, and Calgary.
If all goes well Wiebe could be chosen for the Game of Distinction, which is an extra game for the top performers of the combine.
Wiebe currently plays for the WFC Manitoba BMO Academy Centre Boys MLS Prospects, which is partnered with the Vancouver Whitecaps and is run through the Manitoba Soccer Association (MSA).
Wiebe mentioned that COVID-19 prevented him from competing in the combine and competition in 2021, but it never stopped him from training.
“The opportunities didn’t go away they were just postponed due to COVID. I’m lucky enough that here we’re friends with people who operate the [soccer] field, so when things started to open up again we could go there anytime we wanted and train.”
Though Wiebe is located in Northwestern Ontario the MSA granted him status to play in their association in Winnipeg compared to traveling to southern Ontario.
He practices with the team on Mondays and then travels to Winnipeg on Fridays for games. When he is not in Winnipeg training, he is training with the Lake of the Woods Soccer Academy, which is run by his father Lyle.