A young soccer player who grew up in Kaslo began training Saturday in Burnaby with the provincial U16 boys team.
Titouan Chopin, 16, attended L.V. Rogers and played rep soccer in Nelson for several seasons, but now lives in the Lower Mainland and plays for Coquitlam Metro Ford, which won the Metro league this year.
As part of the provincial squad, he will travel to Portland; Guadlajara, Mexico for a camp against other youth teams; and Newfoundland for the national championships in mid-July, involving eight days of round robin play against all other provinces.
The attacker/midfielder attended an open tryout for the U16 squad last October. He was asked to come back for another look and also received an invite to the Canadian Soccer Association’s national training centre.
He says he didn’t have a sense of his chances of making the team.
“Not really. I was surprised actually, to be able to fit in. I moved on and feel comfortable now.”
Chopin started playing house league soccer when he was seven. His brother Jules, 17, also plays for Coquitlam, on an older team. Although they have been settled in the Lower Mainland since last August with their mother Jill, they have returned to West Kootenay during breaks.
Titouan says although he had a good season, he’s not sure where he will end up next year. He has tried out for a U16 Whitecaps team or might consider joining a men’s league.