A young fan’s admiration stays with Vancouver FC defender Kian Proctor

A young fan named Jax, who plays for Langley, came over with his mother after one of our recent home matches. Wearing his Vancouver FC jersey, he asked me to sign it and take a photo, then told me I was his favourite player. It was a special moment that still does not feel real. I see myself as a local kid trying to represent the team and reach the next level. Fans matter enormously to us as players; their support gives us a boost and motivation. For the community, it is also great to have a local team in a professional league to follow, support, meet new friends at matches and cheer on Canadian soccer.

This is the best Vancouver FC has been since the club started, and we are fighting for a first-ever playoff spot. Saturday’s away match against FC Supra du Québec is the first of our final three regular-season games. My message to sports fans in the Lower Mainland is: if you know about us, or have heard of us and wondered whether to come to a game, now is the time. It is crunch time. Every game will feel like a playoff game, and we can use all the support we can get to help us get over the line. These should also be the most enjoyable games to watch and attend, with so much at stake. I encourage soccer fans, sports fans and families across the community to come out for Vancouver FC, get behind the players and be part of what we are building. It really does make a difference on the field.

That moment with Jax resonated with me. This is my first professional season, and I am still getting used to young fans coming onto the field after games for photos and autographs, or people stopping me around the area. The club works hard to connect with the local fans we represent. I try to make time for every child who approaches me because I know how much it can mean. When I was young, getting an autograph from a Whitecaps or national-team player was a big moment; it gave me someone to look up to. That is why an encounter like the one with Jax stays with me. When a child says I am his favourite player, or that he plays for one of the local clubs I played for, I see some of myself in him.

This is also the time of year when soccer starts taking over. Growing up, I would see goals go up in parks as youth and adult leagues and university seasons began, and kids returned to soccer after school. Artificial turf lets us play through bad weather. Major leagues around the world are starting again, so soccer is back on television everywhere, and here in Vancouver we are still in the aftermath of the World Cup. Playing is great, and supporting a team abroad is great, too. But I think it is especially cool that kids here now have a local professional team to support.

When I was younger, all we had was the Whitecaps. Watching local games and seeing the team do well helped keep me interested and motivated. You could watch the players, experience the atmosphere, then go back to your own field and try to recreate it. Now young players in Langley and across the Lower Mainland have Vancouver FC as well, a team in Canada’s national league and system. Our local players have largely come through the same clubs and soccer pathway that those young players, or their children, are part of now. I think that makes the connection closer. Our stadium is smaller, we interact with fans often, and supporters can get to know the players. We are professionals, but we are fans ourselves, too.

This week, I want to thank Jax and every fan who has already made Vancouver FC feel like their team, and invite everyone else to come out, get behind us and help us take the next step together. I am Kian Proctor, a 20-year-old Vancouver FC defender from Delta. I signed my first professional contract for the 2026 season after a standout year at SFU. I will write a weekly column this season about myself and my new team.