WINNIPEG — Raphael Garcia won’t blow out 20 candles on his birthday cake until this May, and he sports the youthful face of a kid who should be playing a featured role in a Disney Channel production.

And yet, talk to the young man for even just a few minutes and his maturity and quiet confidence belies what his birth certificate reads.

Little wonder, it turns out, as Garcia has been in an environment that can build that maturity and confidence – or, alternatively, delay and ruin both — since he was 12 years old and left his family in Ottawa to join the Montreal Impact Academy. Garcia’s parents had first seen a television report about Impact Academy and sent him to Montreal for the identification camp. Of the over 300 kids in attendance at that camp, two were offered Academy spots – Garcia and Ballou Tabla, who is currently on the Canadian national team and a member of Barcelona B.

“My parents, at first, said ‘No’ when the Impact called and said that they wanted me,” explained Garcia this week. “It was a big step for me because I had to leave my family at 12 and learn how to do the dishes, wash my clothes all by myself at that young age. I had a chat with my mom — I still remember it to this day — and I said, ‘Playing professional soccer is my dream and you always told me to pursue my dreams. I think, for me, the right decision is to go.’

“I remember my mom started crying, but I knew then that I was going to Montreal. It’s not something many kids have an opportunity to. I think I’m mature for my age, but it kind of sucks that you have to move away and grow up away from your family.”

Still, that’s not an easy transition for any kid – even those going to college – let alone one who is just 12. But it’s part of what has made Garcia who he is today, someone seemingly wise beyond his years and ready to take the next step in his soccer career. He has a previous relationship with Valour coach Rob Gale, who managed him during his days with the Canadian U-15 team, and then caught his eye again at the Canadian Premier League Open Trials in Quebec last fall.

Garcia arrived in Winnipeg with a bit of a knee injury that delayed his training with the club, but has been solid in the days since.

“Raph’s had a bit of a slow start, only in that he was battling some soreness at the start of camp,” said Valour FC Assistant coach Damian Rocke. “But he’s come in and looked quite impressive. At that age to come in and be around players with the amount of experience they’ve got and really show he can not only compete, but show his quality and personality is impressive.

“It’s a testament to his character and his intelligence as a player. It shows off the field as well … Rob (Gale) has elaborated on this at length, but it’s important that those players are able to show that professionalism on a daily basis and then those good habits translate onto the field as well.”

For Garcia, though, not much has changed.

“This is my first professional contract, but not the first time I’ve really been in a  professional environment,” added Garcia. “So, this isn’t something new for me. The only difference is I can make this as my living now. I’m looking forward to that first day, May 4 against Pacific … I’ve had dreams about it. I like to do some visualization and I just can’t wait to play that first game.”