Orillia soccer star Thomas Reid has gone semi-pro.
The 22-year-old Orillia Secondary School graduate made the Barrie 1812 FC out of League 1 Ontario.
“I heard there were tryouts for the team through social media and I decided it was something I wanted to do,” Reid said.
“To be honest I didn’t expect to make the team, but I wanted to go and see if I could play at that level.”
Reid started his soccer career playing with the Orillia & District Soccer Club. He attributes some of his recent success to solid early coaching.
“My Dad, Don Reid, and Sean Madorin were my coaches when I was young, and I find that it’s really important to have good coaches when you are at that age to keep it fun and keep you interested in the game,” he said.
“I started playing in Barrie at age 15 and 16. Ray Wright and Briesk Kouji were my coaches, and I definitely have to give them a lot of credit for getting me ready to play at the university level," he explained.
Reid played four years of college soccer for Trent University under coach Grant Purdy.
“Playing with Trent helped prepare me for this next step; there are a lot of good players at the university level,” Reid said.
“The speed of play in that league definitely helped prepare me, although League 1 is definitely a step up and something I’ll still have to get used to.”
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reid is still shaking off some rust as he didn’t see any game action last year.
“Soccer is my biggest passion, so, it was tough not being able to play (due to) COVID,” he said.
“I’m still adjusting, and I’m still putting in work off the field on my own time. I train with Peak Performance in Orillia, I do lots of cardio, and in practice, I find I really have to step my game up to show that I can excel in this challenging environment," said Reid.
During the 1812 FC’s first game, Reid, a centre back, felt he didn’t play his best. He logged 30 minutes of game time and was unable to register any points.
“I didn’t play as well as I would have liked personally, but that goes with the learning curve of playing at a higher level,” he said.
“For me right now, the biggest thing is confidence. I feel like if I can get my confidence going then I’ll be better suited to play at this level.”
Reid says he is hopeful that League 1 isn’t the peak of his soccer journey; he wants to keep building toward playing at the next level.
“My goal is to keep developing as a player, keep learning about the game from my coaches and teammates, and see where that takes me,” he said.
Reid encourages other young players to pursue their soccer dreams.
“Go for it," he urged. "Work your hardest, and if it doesn’t work out, it can motivate you to come back stronger for the next time."
