PLAYER’S DIARY: First Vancouver FC game of season seen from the bench

The week of the first game of a new season is always one of the most exciting.

After a tough preseason and weeks of planning, it’s great to get started and to see all of the fans coming back out to Willoughby Stadium.

So being injured last weekend and missing it was very difficult.

Because of the CONCACAF Champions Cup matches in February, we started back much earlier than other teams this season – in January. I received a call from my agent just a day before, offering me the opportunity to train with the squad for two weeks – to prove myself.

I worked super hard to show that I deserved to be there. But, right before I got the contract offer, I sprained my ankle, which put me out of action for two weeks.

When we went away to our training camp in Phoenix, I was injured but still working hard on my own ankle rehab with the trainers and medical staff.

So of the six weeks before the game in Mexico against Cruz Azul – the best club team in the continent – I trained fully for just three or four but still managed to get the start. Which showed me that I do belong at this level.

It was a big change for me though. I went from training twice a week, playing in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League, to three days on, one day off for a month and a half. So that’s basically training six days a week, which was very physically demanding.

After a little break following the game in Mexico, we picked that schedule back up to get ready for the CPL season.

So for six days a week training was at 10 a.m. in the morning, and very physical, and then right after every session at about noon, we would have a gym session. So that’s six days of gym a week also.

Which meant I had to step up my recovery too and focus on being a really good professional when away from the team. So that meant more prehab sessions as well.

Preseason is all to try and prepare our bodies for the season ahead and to prevent injuries, but still, injuries do happen in football.

The injury I picked up in January came during training. I went into a 50-50 tackle and I got the wrong side of it and sprained my ankle.

Then a few weeks ago in the final match of preseason against Altitude FC, I was getting pressed by the striker and did a spin to evade the pressure. He came through my ankle and it was the same one, in the same spot. It was a bit vulnerable and it just went again.

It’s not a long-term injury, but the timing ruled me out of the Halifax Wanderers match.

Being injured meant game day one was very different compared to if I was playing.

I was in Willoughby Stadium a few hours before kick-off doing my rehab with a trainer. As the rest of the team started arriving for the game, I was finishing up. Then you get changed and go into the stands with the other injured guys and players who aren’t rostered and support your team mates.

Thankfully, I have the senior players and experienced medical staff around to guide me through a setback like this. They’re always reminding me that it’s a long season and there’s no point rushing back and making the injury worse in the long run.

The main objective of Vancouver FC is for homegrown talent to have a platform to compete as professionals in a national league and provide a clear pathway to the world stage. So us staying fit and healthy is a key part of being able to take that opportunity.

As a squad and staff we have put in such a big preseason, working hard each day to help this club reach its targets for the community we represent. I was so proud watching the team take the field knowing the grind that went into getting there.

I’m back training with the team this week and can’t wait to contribute again – hopefully as soon as the next game.

AND:

GUEST SHOT – Pivotal time for soccer in Canada

– Kian Proctor is a 20-year-old Vancouver FC defender from Delta, who signed his first professional contract for the 2026 season after a standout year at SFU. He will be writing a weekly column this season, offering insight into himself and his new team.