From Whitehorse to Whitecaps: Yukon soccer player set to suit up for first pro game in Canada

On Sunday, an 18-year-old from Whitehorse will do something no other soccer player from the Yukon has done before: Suit up and play a professional game in Canada.

Last month, Joe Hanson signed a pro contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC2 reserve team — the squad that is part of the newly formed 21-team MLS "next pro" league.

After opening their inaugural season with two games in the United States, the team plays its first home game on Sunday.

"I'm excited, it's nice to be back home in Canada," he said. 

This is uncharted waters for a soccer player from the Yukon. While Yukon athletes have routinely achieved high level success in their respective sports, no player from the Yukon has taken their soccer game to the pro level, until now.

The elements of the North aren't exactly conducive to someone making it to the bigs.

Yukon fields are often blanketed with snow for six months of the year.

When the snow eventually does melt the outdoor season is short, usually just six weeks long.

Yukon's population is also less than 45,000, meaning the pool of talent is much smaller, therefore regular high-level competition isn't there.

Despite these obstacles, Hanson has remained steadfast in his desire to take his game to the pro level.

"It was a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice, that basically sums it up," he said. "We're isolated in the North, there's not enough people to have multiple clubs, so there's not a lot of steady competition, it just means you have to have a lot of self-discipline and push yourself."

Helping with that push and supporting that pro soccer dream from the start has been Hanson's dad Jake Hanson.

"It's going to be special to see him play," said Jake. "He's been talking about this day his whole life, we're definitely looking forward to it."

Jake is American and also a superb soccer talent in his own right — as a teenager he was even scouted for the U.S. National team.