Warriors reloaded took a while to catch up with this player. The wait was well worth it, though. This Toronto Football Club defender definitely has his head on his shoulders. Cool and calm, Julius James is a rising star.
Faith. That’s what keeps James on the right path when the going gets tough. Devotion to his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is his armour against a sometimes unfair and unkind world.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it,” (Proverbs 22:6) —this Bible quote mirrors James’s life. Born and bred in Maloney Gardens, he vividly remembers going to church with his family on a regular basis. The teachings he learnt as a child has followed him into adulthood.
“We went to church every single Sunday. I would not have made it this far if it wasn’t for my firm belief in Christ Jesus. There were times when all I had was Jesus. Through prayers and faith I was able to make it through. I let him take full control,” he says.
James…a swimmer?
Did you know that this promising footballer started off as a swimmer? So good was he, in fact, James won numerous swimming competitions for his club, Benny’s Swim World—and he has the trophies to prove it, too. When the Common Entrance Exam came around, however, he put his first love on the back burner.
After exams, James picked up swimming again. He soon realised that the love he once had for the water had dwindled.
“When I started back to swim, I realised that I didn’t like it as much. I won most of my races, but the love just wasn’t there.”
That’s when football came knocking.
Football calls
Julius got into football almost by chance. His Physical Education teacher at St James Secondary saw his raw talent and encouraged him to pursue the sport.
As fate would have it, James got a number for football coach Lester Young and the rest was history.
He went on to represent his country in the Under-17 World Cup. He was just 14 years old.
“I thought I was overshooting, but it worked out perfectly. I made the first team after a bunch of tryouts. I learnt the fundamentals of the game. I started to love it more.”
A strategic move
Transferring to St Anthony’s College shortly after proved to be a strategic move—the school, at that time, was known for its strong football team, with the likes of national senior footballers Kenwyne Jones and Jan Michael Williams on the side.
“Looking back now, everything just seems like it fell into place,” says the 24-year-old.
James’s fancy footwork on the pitch improved steadily and soon caught the eye of the coach of the Connecticut Football Club, who wasted no time in drafting the youngster to his homeland.
That was six years ago. Today, James is a Canadian resident and a prominent member of Toronto FC.
Although football was his life, his parents made sure that his education did not suffer.
While admitting that it was difficult juggling the two, James graduated from Connecticut University with an Agricultural and Resource Economics major and a minor in Geography.
Believing in yourself
Despite his obvious talent on the field, there were some naysayers who told him he would never make it. To them he turned a deaf ear.
“Some people told me that I shouldn’t do it because the success rate in football is low, since everyone playing it. But I went ahead,” he says.
James says adjusting to life in Canada was easy. His Canadian girlfriend may have something to do with that, though.
“Canada is nice. It’s a multi - ethnic place. I do miss life in Trinidad. I miss my family the most. I don’t get to see them that often. I’m going to Cuba this Christmas, but I spent most of November with them,” he shares.
With his talent and determination, there is no doubt we will be hearing a lot more from this lad.
Indeed, Julius James is a rising star.