Pacific FC today announced the signing of Mattias Vales, 16, to a development contract. 

Vales attends high school St. John’s Academy in Shawnigan Lake where he is part of the school’s youth soccer academy, The Football Academy. The academy, which launched in September 2023, is the product of a partnership between Pacific and St. John’s and was created to provide a safe and supportive environment where local talent can develop into complete players by focusing on specific fundamentals of the game such as team morale and culture, mental and physical aspects of the game, as well as technical and tactical awareness.

Vales played club soccer for Juan de Fuca Soccer and Gorge Soccer Association before joining the Trident Development Program and Vancouver Island Wave. 

“Mattias is a very talented young player with a lot of potential,” said Chris Merriman, Assistant Coach & Youth Coach, Pacific FC. “He is very dynamic on the ball and poses issues for defenders. We have been impressed with his professionalism in his training and he’s a testament to what we are doing in our youth programming that can lead to a pathway to be signed by Pacific.”

In signing a Development Contract, Vales is eligible to make four appearances for Pacific while maintaining his amateur status and the ability to train with the amateur team that holds his registration, the VI Wave 2007 Boys team. Vales was born in 2008, but plays up a year in the VI Wave Program. In any one calendar year, a player may sign a maximum of two Development Contracts in the Canadian Premier League (CPL). 

Vales is the second player to sign a development contract with the Tridents this season. Midfielder Sami Keshavarz signed a development contract with Pacific ahead of the 2024 CPL season. It is Keshavarz second development contract with Pacific, after he joined the Tridents on a similar agreement in 2023. 

“The Wave Program was designed to provide a professional pathway for youth players with the potential to become a homegrown player for Pacific,” said Shawn Fiddick, Executive Director, Youth Programs, Pacific FC. 

VI Wave is part of the BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL), the highest level of youth soccer in BC, which is comprised of five age groups, from under-14 to under-18, for both boys and girls. 

Pacific’s Trident Development Program recently opened its fourth location on Vancouver Island. It provides a pathway to the VI Wave high-performance program through technical training and small-sided matches.