Tomasz Skublak has been a force to be reckoned with in League1 Ontario over the past few seasons, shooting Scrosoppi to the top of the Men’s Premier Division standings in back-to-back years.

Since joining SFC in 2023, Skublak has scored 35 goals in 33 regular-season matches – a prolific record that has made him one of the best forwards in Pro-Am soccer. 

Skublak is the Men’s Premier’s reigning Most Valuable Player, and was the first interview in League1 Ontario’s new YouTube show, which was launched on Thursday, April 10 before a big weekend of L1 Cup action across the province.

He sat down with Dexter Abrams, who kicked off the interview by asking about Skublak’s preparation going into a new season.

“Essentially going through what I have to do on a daily basis to pay the bills – selling houses – and then going to training and making sure that when I’m there, I’m 100 per cent there,” said Skublak.

“Going in there, having a good attitude, communicating with the teammates that I have. Everyone understands each other’s roles and what kind of quality they bring, what characteristics they bring, and it’s just building on that.

“Having a great coach, good sessions, and high intensity, is the best preparation I can have – not to mention we are one of the teams that has a full-time athletic therapist there; he’s fantastic. If you take care of the little knocks here and there you have less big knocks.”

As well as previewing the new season, talking about pregame routines, and how to bounce back from mistakes, Skublak also provided advice to young people looking to progress in the game.

“With the young kids not only playing League1 but potentially getting opportunities in the CPL [Canadian Premier League] it definitely shows how hard they train and work on the pitch. 

“The most important thing for them to have is a routine; number two is following it even when you don’t want to follow it. Then the third thing is being open to criticism from other people who have been there. Even now, I learn things from 19-year-olds that I never thought I’d be open to learning.

“Another thing that is super important for anyone trying to be consistent is that hard work beats talent. When talent isn’t working, hard work will definitely win, so put in 100 per cent effort and people will see that.”

If you want to watch the full edit, please click here to head to League1 Ontario’s YouTube channel.