Bristow Teen Dreams Big With FC Tulsa's New Pathway To Pro Program

Isaiah Wilson is a junior in high school and has been playing soccer for 8 years.

His dad played and was a coach, so naturally, Isaiah just had to join.

“It was kind of one of those things where I was always around it when I was young, and it was like…yeah, join,” he said.

A Bristow native, Isaiah has always dreamt of representing his town at the professional level.

“It’s a very big dream to have, so I still have all my backup plans and stuff, but that’s like the dream right now,” he said.

Now, he has that chance at an elite training program hosted by FC Tulsa. Assistant Coach Matthew Watson says, if a player wants to go pro, this is a good way to get the exposure needed.

“We’re gonna look at these players and kind of create a direct pathway to professional soccer in Tulsa,” he said.

The FC Tulsa staff reached out to local clubs and asked for player recommendations. From there, they will scout the players for the next two weeks and make selections. Those selected will be invited to partake in a full three-month program, with training after school

“We take into account the age of the players and where they’re at right now and we’ll look at that and we’ll see if that can project in a way that can take them to the professional game,” he said.

But the opportunities don’t stop there. The players will be evaluated to see if they have what it takes to play with the first team. FC Tulsa already has young players at the top level.

“We have a 14-year-old already training with us every day, one of the players that starts regularly for us is 16 years old, so we’re definitely a club that looks for good young players to improve the first team,” he said.

Isaiah hopes he’s the next young player getting time on the field.

“If it happens, I’d be over the moon so excited, if it doesn’t, hey, still good to try,” he said.

No matter what happens, he hopes soccer is a constant in his life.

“As long as I’m around soccer when I get older and that kind of stuff, I’ll be happy,” he said.

Previous Story: FC Tulsa Buys Tulsa Sports Facility, Plans To Upgrade

FC Tulsa is buying the Titan Sports Performance Center near 81st and Elwood.

The soccer team already trains there and plans to upgrade it and bring more leagues to the facility. Many parents said they’re glad to see FC Tulsa bought the facility and that the organization is planning to put money into it and make it better.

The team hopes this will give it more of a chance to interact with fans outside of the home games during the regular season. KEEP READING