Eh Hser Moo鈥檚 soccer career is coming full circle as the 91原创 Secondary student prepares to graduate and accept a scholarship to Trinity Western University.
The former Karen refugee is again playing for a local soccer team 鈥� dubbed the Douglas Park Dragons 鈥� in the neighbourhood where he first picked up most of his skills.
But he鈥檚 also had a frantic year, as he has packed in as much education as possible so he can graduate a full year early and take up his scholarship and start his post-secondary education.
Moo, who graduates in a few weeks, started playing soccer in the refugee camp in Thailand where he was born and lived with his family for the first eight years of his life.
His family鈥檚 life changed when they were accepted to Canada as refugees. The Karen people of Myanmar (formerly Burma) had been persecuted and fled the military government. Hundreds eventually came to 91原创, mostly living in the City.
Before he arrived, Moo had some soccer background, noting his dad was 鈥渁 bit of a star鈥� too, but they didn鈥檛 exactly have a lot of equipment. He recalls playing with a ball made of paper wrapped in rubber bands in the refugee camp.
The family arrived in Canada in the winter.
鈥淚t was cool, because we didn鈥檛 have snow back in Thailand,鈥� Moo said.
Before long, he was signed up with the Timbits League, a fun practice league that played around the Douglas Park area in 91原创 City, with other Karen refugees. Canada had accepted a number of the refugee families, who had fled persecution in Myanmar, formerly Burma.
From the Timbits, Moo went on to play with 91原创 United and Surrey United, and into High Performance Soccer.
Over the years, he said his 鈥渟occer IQ鈥� has increased, one of his main strengths as a player.
鈥淚 know how to make the right plays at the right moment,鈥� he said.
He brings enthusiasm to every game and practice, and tries to be a leader and encourage every other player on his teams.
Those skills got him noticed by recruiters at TWU.
鈥淭he coach saw me as a 2019 class recruit, and I didn鈥檛 tell him I was a grade lower,鈥� Moo said about how he suddenly found himself needing to graduate straight from Grade 11.
Before that, Moo hadn鈥檛 been thinking much about post-secondary options. But when the chance came up, his mentor Herv Bezjak advised him to go for it and finish his secondary schooling.
Bezjak, who runs the Boys and Girls Club at Douglas Park and coached Moo in soccer early on, has been one of the people who has helped the teen.
鈥淗e鈥檚 always been part of my life,鈥� Moo said.
So Moo decided to tackle the academic challenge, while also practicing four times a week and playing on weekends.
He joined the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program at LSS, with teacher Kendall Sewell helping to guide him and other students.
AVID is aimed at helping kids get into post-secondary schools, and teaches study skills, self-advocacy, and takes students to visit universities, Sewell said.
鈥淚t was difficult,鈥� Moo said, but he said teachers, councillors, and AVID all helped make it possible.
He took his English 12 course last summer, before he started Grade 11, and he鈥檚 wrapped up all his other graduation requirements this year.
鈥淚鈥檓 a student-athlete, student comes before athlete,鈥� Moo said.
His parents have also been supportive, and his mother has been a source of inspiration.
At one point, she was working three jobs to help support the family, which includes Moo and his six siblings, he said.
Many of the people in the small Karen community in 91原创 work hard just for basics like food and clothing for their families, he said.
That鈥檚 helped him think about what he might do with his university education.
Moo plans to study business, and he鈥檚 thinking about opening a local market once he鈥檚 graduated. He wants to supply the Karen-Canadian community with the foods that his parents generation finds hard to locate here in Canada.
鈥淪upply them with what makes them feel at home,鈥� he said.
Moo and his generation grew up here and he said he feels more Canadian, having spent most of his life here now.
But he鈥檇 like to help supply and employ people from the Karen community in the Lower Mainland.
That鈥檚 after his soccer career, of course.
鈥淚 always have dreams to go pro, but whatever happens, God has a plan,鈥� Moo said.
In the meantime, he鈥檚 hoping to inspire others with his achievements.
鈥淚f you can work for something, it will happen,鈥� he said.
His younger siblings are already thinking about sports as a path forward, he noted. One sister plays rugby at LSS and is interested in playing for TWU, and his younger brother is another rugby player.
Moo graduates this month, and he expects to start pre-season training over the summer for TWU.
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