Terry Felix (born 9 September 1959) is a Canadian retired soccer player who earned three caps for the national team in 1983. He played club soccer for the Vancouver Whitecaps competing in the North American Soccer League (NASL).
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 September 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Matsqui, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sasquatch Inn SC | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 8 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 1983 | Canadian Olympic Team | 2 | (2) |
| 1983 | Canada | 3 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He was the first indigenous player to play professionally in North America, and the first to represent Canada.
Early life
Felix was born in Matsqui, British Columbia.[1] His father Peter was born on the Chehalis Indian Reserve in Agassiz and his mother Dolores was born on the Katzie Indian Reserve near Vancouver; Felix himself was raised on the Sts'ailes First Nation Indian Reservation.[1] He began playing soccer at the age of six.[1]
Club career
At the age of 16 Felix joined Sasquatch Inn SC.[1]
On 10 July 1983 Felix made his professional debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps in front of 50,000 fans in a match against the New York Cosmos.[2] In doing so he became the first indigenous soccer player to play professionally in North America.[2] He made 8 appearances in total that season, scoring two goals and making one assist.[3] He retired after suffering a ligament injury.[2]
International career
He represented Canada in Olympic Qualifiers and made five international appearances in 1983 for the national senior team, including three caps.[1] In doing so he became the first indigenous player to represent Canada.[2]
Later life
Felix married and had seven children, and worked full time on the Sts'ailes First Nation reserve, whilst also working as a prison counsellor.[2] In 2022, he won the Indspire Award in the sports category.[4][5] Terry received the Inspire Award in the sports category in 2022.[6]
References
External links
- Terry Felix at National-Football-Teams.com