Joel Waterman Interview

Today, I'm incredibly excited to release this interview with Club de Foot Montreal center back, Joel Waterman.

The first time I saw Joel he was playing for Cavalry FC under head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.

Joel was so good in the inaugural season of the CPL that Club De Foot Montreal signed him and became the first team to sign a player from the CPL, and Joel became the first-ever player that started out in the CPL to go to the MLS.

Since that defining moment, Joel Waterman has received multiple call ups to the Canadian senior Men's National Team.

The Joel Waterman Interview

We had a great conversation from his hotel room in Miami where the MLS is playing right now. Joel left a huge impression on me. If you have watched our previous interviews, you know how much I believe that having the “right” mindset can get you through anything. Listening to Joel I was impressed by his attitude, mindset, and discipline. In fact, there is one thing he said will stay with me, and I think this is part of the secret to his incredible ascent is:

“The most supernatural thing we can do is be consistent.”

Joel Waterman

During our interview, our goal is to get into the soccer journey of our guests. We want to know how they fell in love with soccer, how they realized that soccer was the path they wanted to take, what drove them to pursue their football goal with passion, and what set them apart from the rest.

We loved getting into Joel's journey, from the love of soccer shared by his whole family, Saturday morning games, and how his Dad was instrumental in developing his skills, getting him to understand the importance of “getting good at the basics.”

We also talked about the defining moments in his career, starting with the CPL to his move to the MLS and coaching with Thierry Henry. We delve into the changes he made to his game when he went from a CDM to a CB, what its like to be a ball-carrying center back, his playing style and who he likes to watch and emulate.

We also covered his Ambassadorship with Kidsport and other passion projects that are important to him. To wrap up the interview, we asked Joel some fun Rapid Fire Questions to get to know him better!

Watching the interview, you can see that each answer was given with much thought and reflection. This is an incredibly in-depth interview and I want to thank Joel for getting into his journey and inspiring me and others to pursue our dreams.

Below is the timestamp for the interview. If watched on YouTube, the timestamp is clickable.

Joel Waterman Interview Timestamp

0:00:00 Welcome
0:01:15. Where are you right now?
0:03:15. How did you fall in love with soccer?
0:04:40  When did you start getting serious about soccer?
0:06: 13  Did you have to move when you moved clubs?
0:07:36  Leap of faith discussion.
0:10:02  The first CPL player to go to the MLS?  How was that?
0:13:33  How did you get contacted to sign with Montreal?
0:18:44  Montreal signed you to a multi-year deal. What qualities do you think they liked in your game?
0:20:44  Call moving center back?  how did you develop the quality?
0:27:06  Soccer IQ discussion. Did you watch soccer when you were growing up?
0:29:26  At MLS do you watch games of your opponents? 
0:30:50 On game day, do you do visualization or have a game-day routine?
0:32:18 What quote do you live by or helps you in general?
0:34:09 In the CPL you lead defenders in successful passes per 90 minutes, 90% completion – How did your passing get so good?
0:37:17 Your favourite formation?
0:40:40 Is versatility becoming more important in the modern game?
0:43:26  What is one important thing you learned from Thierry Henry?
0:46:00  You made your debut in the CONCACAF in 17th minute and earned an assist…How did you develop the ability to step into ultra-competitive situations and excel? can you speak to that for a minute?
0:49:40  What is that like to get called up to the National Team and peaking at the right time?
0:54:13 giving back and involved with Kidsport?
0:58:30  Do you follow a special diet?
0:59:37 Tell us about Mannatech.
1:00:43  Do you do yoga?
1:04:07  FIFA card?  Have you seen your FIFA card?

Rapid Fire Questions
1:08:00 Favourite team to use when playing FIFA?
1:08:49 Xbox or ps4?
1:09 Do you dance?
1:09:52 Favourite word?
1:10:45  Spirit animal?
1:11:54 Hidden talent?
1:12:20  What soccer team do you support?
1:12:57  Where is your happy place?
1:14:19  Do you have a nickname?
1:14:57  One superpower you'd like to have?
1:15:43. Do you cook?
1:16:41 Favourite board game?
1:17:20  What's your favourite movie?
1:18:14  What are you currently reading?
1:19:06  If you could explore all the countries, oceans, or outer space, which would you choose?
1:21:00  What are you watching on Netflix?
1:22:14  Most used emoji?
1:22:40  Goals for the future?
1:24. What do you think of the new crest?
1:26:10 Was there one player in your club in particular that helped you settle in the MLS?
1:27:25 3 words to define you?

Joel Waterman Interview Audio Version

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