Skylar Thomas got his start in the soccer world in quite an unconventional way.
Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada to a Canadian mother and a Trinidadian father, Thomas was exposed to many different sports. Soccer, however, was not one of them.
Despite this, his father, one of the biggest influences in Thomas’ life, learned the game to help his son.
“My parents emphasized the importance of playing a sport, but neither of them knew a lot about soccer,” Thomas said. “Once I got into soccer, my father learned a lot about the game to help coach me and strengthen my mindset at a young age. He also taught me to focus more on the little things, and play with attention to detail.”
Although Skylar played soccer and basketball growing up, soccer was always his top priority. He grew up playing in the midfield, but started to get recognition when he moved to defender.
Following his father’s example, Thomas continued to garner more recognition, and earned a spot on the U-23 Canada National Team in 2015.
“It was a lot of fun to play for my home country,” Thomas said. “It was a humbling experience, for sure. It was great to be around so much talent.”
His next experience, however, was even more fun. He was drafted by his hometown team, Toronto FC, with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He would sign with the affiliate Toronto FC II, playing there for one season before suiting up for the Charleston Battery.
He would return to Canada to play for Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League, before signing with the Hounds this past February.
Despite the current situation, he has been able to build some chemistry with his teammates.
“We’ve only recently started small group practices, but it is good for us to be able to prepare for when everything is back to normal.”
Normally, this is where the story ends – a player who worked hard to get recognized, lived out his dream. But this was not the end of Skylar’s plan.
In 2019, Thomas gave back to the next generation and launched his own company named Kick Deck. They are playing cards with soccer drills on them for workouts. They allow players of all ages to stay in shape and refine their skills.
Even Thomas has used these cards to stay in shape.
“No lie, I’ve used these cards during COVID-19 to stay in shape,” he said. “I try to mix in different cards when I can, just so I’m not always doing the same thing.”
At the end of the day, though, these cards can’t take the place of the game he loves.
“I can’t wait to suit up for the Hounds,” Thomas said. “I am still trying to better myself as a player whenever I can, and playing at this level allows me to do that.”
