Jason Hills
FC Edmonton Communications

EDMONTON — You can see the joy in the eyes of Tobias Warschewski this season.
Scoring a highlight reel, bicycle kick goal for FC Edmonton in their season opener surely helps, but for the 24-year-old, the game is fun again.

The German striker has the passion back for the game he almost walked away from just a few short years ago.
Warschewski was living the life of many young German soccer players dream of. He was playing professionally at 17. He signed his first big pro contract at 18 and he was invited to play for the German U-19 national team.
But, while the success and accolades were being reached on the pitch, mentally Warschewski just wasn’t ready.

“In my opinion, everything was just going a little too fast,” said Warschewski.
“The first year, I enjoyed it very much, but there wasn’t any pressure, but when I signed a new deal the following year, I started to feel that pressure and you start to feel the business side of the game.
“I wasn’t just feeling the pressure. I wasn’t mature enough to go through that experience, and I wasn’t ready, and I made a lot of mistakes that I had to learn from. I was young.”

After three years with SC Prussia Munster, Warschewski stepped away from the game and wasn’t sure if or when he would play professionally again.

“It was time. (Soccer) just wasn’t my passion anymore. I need to enjoy what I do, and I wasn’t enjoying the game anymore,” admitted Warschewski.

The time away from soccer did Warschewski some good, as he could just unplug from the intensity and pressures of playing soccer, but it also posed some real challenges for Warschewski.
He gained a significant amount of weight, topping out at over 260 pounds.

“I wasn’t healthy,” said Warchewski.
“In Germany you train two times a day, and you have to eat so many calories, and when I stopped playing, I just kept eating those calories.
“I had old pictures of me during that time, and when I look back, I feel sad for me. I lost my head. I knew I needed to change something.”

With some encouragement from one of his childhood friends and former teammates, he decided to get back on the pitch.
He joined Phonix Lubick for five games during the 2020-21 season, and he started to feel invigorated, and that spark for the game of soccer was ignited once again.

But getting back on the pitch wasn’t enough for Warschewski. He needed more. That’s when he decided to leave Germany and come to Canada, and he joined FC Edmonton last year.
A different country, a different environment and all kinds of new challenges, but Warschewski is flourishing with the Eddies.

“I think last year, he showed the league what he can do and this year we want to see him be one of the top, top players in this league and I think he has the potential to do that,” said FC Edmonton head coach Alan Koch.
“He’s a young German that played for the youth national team so he was having an amazing career as a young player, and then he hit burnout.
“He had promises made to him that weren’t fulfilled and he stepped away from the game for a little while. So he lost the love, he lost the passion and he’s wanted to do something different and see what happens

Warschewski led the league in assists with seven last year, and despite not knowing any English when he first came to Canada to play for FC Edmonton — he’s found a home and fit right into the team’s culture.
This year, despite being on loan from York United FC, Warschewski was adamant that the only place he wanted to play was back with FC Edmonton.

“As things have transpired, there is a reason he is here with FC Edmonton — he was adamant that he wanted to play for FC Edmonton and he was willing to make some sacrifices to come back here, which we appreciate and I’m excited to work with him,” said Koch.

This season, he’s become more of a vocal leader, as he tries to establish himself as one of the league’s top strikers. He leads the Eddies with one goal and five shots on net, through the first two matches.
He’s come a long way both on and off the pitch from where he was just four years ago.

“I’m having fun again, and that’s important to me,” said Warschewski.
“Everybody wants to make money in the sport they play, but for me, more importantly I want to enjoy the experience, and I’ve loved my time here in Edmonton. I’ve been able to develop and grow as a player.”