Videos

It starts with a goal. Whitecaps FC midfielder Michael Baldisimo looks back at a challenging but ultimately successful year for the BMO Academy, its players, and its graduates. Scriptwriter/Creative Director: Tom Martin Videographer: Riley Raduik Published by the Bank of Montreal (BMO): https://twitter.com/BMO/status/1328755865688682496 And Whitecaps FC: https://twitter.com/WhitecapsFC/status/1344342487901429760 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJKVVUHld-0&list=PLd1pzw0w2Y88ZdX8KopfWFe1JjxVaYdit Script: It starts with a goal. My first in MLS. The week after my debut match. But really, it started a while before that. It began with a dream. To play professional soccer. Kicking the ball around with my brothers. In my backyard in Burnaby. Joining the BMO Academy when I was 11-years-old. That's how it's started for all of us. 2020 has been a challenge. But for BMO Academy grads, that hasn't stopped our progress. Thomas Hasal, BMO Saskatchewan graduate. Thrown into action on a hot night in Orlando. Staying cooler than a Saskatoon winter. Theo Bair, the big centre forward from Ontario. Adding to his tally. And who could forget. Alphonso Davies. The world superstar, from Edmonton, Alberta. BMO Academy graduate, and 2020 UEFA Champions League winner. And trust me, there's more in the pipeline. COVID-19 put a hold on academy sessions for a while this year. But that hasn't stopped progress for the next generation either. Despite the challenges, we've got more players involved than ever before. More than 40,000 kids kept active, in living rooms, basements and back yards across Canada, and in 14 different countries. With home workouts. Competitions. More than 20,000 hours of live coaching. Virtual Academies, continuing now for kids who live far from their nearest centre. And come summer, with every precaution taken, we got back on the pitch. Now, as we look back on 2020, we can feel proud of the progress we've made. Proud of how far our BMO Academy players and graduates have come, and excited about the new opportunities we've created. Success starts with a goal. And when it comes to soccer, we don't let anything get in the way.

This is not a fairytale. This is war. Whitecaps FC take on longtime rivals Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday, July 18 in the MLS is Back Tournament (7:30 p.m. PT kickoff on TSN). Writer/Creative Director: Tom Martin Editor: Riley Raduik Script: This is not a fairytale. But it started a long time ago. Enemies. Since day one. Fighting over territory. Claims to the throne. This is not a fairytale. But there's magic. And there's make-believe. This is not a fairytale. But there are heroes. And there are villains. This is not a fairytale. This is war.

Written and produced for Connect Hearing and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Copywriter and Creative Director: Thomas Martin Videographer: Riley Raduik Presenter: Carl Valentine Script: "Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Valentine." The Southsiders used to sing that one to me. It was magic when the crowd chanted your name. When I was still playing, my health was a big focus. But as you start to get older, you appreciate your health even more, especially things like your hearing. I've got three grandkids, two boys and a girl, and another on the way. I can't imagine missing out on hearing them laugh for the first time, or missing their first sounds. Still, if I'm honest, my hearing wasn't something I ever really thought about. You remember to go to the dentist, but for some reason, I've never had my hearing checked. So, today, I'm going to fix that, and get my hearing checked at the Connect Hearing clinic here in West Vancouver. Here we go! (Carl gets his hearing checked and gives feedback.) So, my advice? Go and get your hearing checked! It's quick, it's easy, and it's free. Find the nearest Connect Hearing clinic to you at connecthearing.ca