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One of the rising stars on the Canadian comedy scene, Trent McClellan is a comedian who is currently performing coast to coast in clubs and corporate venues week in and week out. Born in Newfoundland, McClellan is also a soccer fanatic who has played soccer since he was six years old and who played for his provincial teams at the U15 and U17 levels and also captained his University team during his years at Memorial University. He has also coached in the Corner Brook Minor soccer system and continues to play the game at the recreational level whenever he is not touring.
RedNation Online and McClellan discuss his career as a comedian, his love of the beautiful game, the current state of Canadian soccer and what is was like to play against Ante Jazic during his competitive playing days.
RedNation Online: Trent, you played soccer at some very high levels and are now one of Canada’s rising stars in the comedy world. So the obvious first question for you is around what is harder – scoring a goal in a competitive match or being funny on stage in front of an audience that expects to laugh and be entertained?
Trent McClellan: Definitely scoring a goal in a competitive match! I was more of a playmaker and a dribbler who set guys up to score goals and I never really had an eye for finishing. Even now in my rec league, I still don’t score a lot of goals. I still try and set stuff up. Comedy was something that came relatively easy for me and my sense of humour was pretty well developed at a pretty early age. There are certainly off nights, but I do think scoring goals is tougher.
RNO: In terms of guessing what position you played, I’m looking at you and you are a pretty tall guy, so my first guess was a centre back who is vocal and who has a gift for gab on the back line. Or maybe as someone who likes the spotlight, I also thought you might have been a striker. What position did you play primarily in your competitive playing days?
Trent McClellan: I did play some centre back, that is correct. But I played the majority of my games in left midfield. I’m left footed and there weren’t a lot of left footed guys on the teams that I played on. So I was usually at left midfield or left back.
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RNO: Another pretty good left footed Canadian player is Canadian International Ante Jazic. Ante is one of the best players ever to come out of the Maritimes and it is my understanding that you played against him during your playing days. Do you have any interesting stories from going up against Ante?
Trent McClellan: I remember a game we played at Dalhousie University and Ante was playing center midfield at the time. I remember saying to our center midfielder, “Are you having fun running around after that guy?” My teammate replied, “He doesn’t stop. He is everywhere. For the love of God, someone else help with this guy”. It was obvious back then that Ante was a really good talent in his early years at University. I think he only played one or two years at Dalhousie and then he was off playing professionally. He was a special player right off the bat and that wasn’t a fun night for our central midfielder.
RNO: Who is your favourite player and who is your favourite comedian?
Trent McClellan: Football-wise, I am a big fan of Lionel Messi because he has no-nonsense approach and is very direct and just does the stuff that needs to be done. Comedy-wise, I love Bill Burr from the States, who is hilariously funny and also very direct and no nonsense. I didn’t realize it until you asked me the question but there is a real connection between those two.
RNO: You played at some high levels as player and, as you said, left footers are a little more rare. Did you ever consider pursuing professional soccer? Also, how did you get into comedy?
Trent McClellan: I definitely wanted to play pro soccer when I was a kid. I would have loved to have done that, but growing up in Newfoundland there wasn’t ever a bigger team to kind of strive for or even watch. And I don’t think I was good enough. I do think you need a high level of coaching when you are younger. I would have loved to have gone to Europe or to the States and received more coaching and then seen what might have happened.
I didn’t start stand up until I moved to Calgary, Alberta about ten years ago. I went to an amateur night at a club one evening and gave it a try. I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it in case I was horrible and I went up and got laughs. And I was like, “This is the best feeling in the world”. I didn’t think about money or anything - just that it was an awesome feeling and that was it. If I couldn’t be a comedian, I would definitely have liked to have been a professional footballer for sure.
RNO: You’ve already mentioned that you were good with the ball at your feet and that you could dribble out of trouble on the pitch. Live comedy isn’t always predictable, so I figure you often have to “dribble” out of trouble in front of a live crowd. How have your soccer experiences contributed to and helped your comedy career?
Trent McClellan: It’s funny, last summer I was telling one of my old coaches back in Newfoundland that my ritual before shows is pretty much similar to what my ritual was before games. You want to get to the venue, look at the venue, size it up, get up on stage and see what the lights are going to be like. I even stretch a little bit before I go on stage. Other comedians see me stretching my hamstrings and ask me, “What are you planning to do up there?” It’s just a habit and it makes me feel more relaxed.
It also taught me composure under pressure. I heard a great quote once: “Pressure is a privilege.” And I really believe that. Usually when you feel pressure, it often means that you are in a pretty special place and that something good or great is about to happen. I’ve always remembered that.
Plus, we did a lot of travelling when I was playing, so that also helped me. As a soccer player you go to a different town and different venue and still have to perform. And now with my job I have to do that all the time, going from place to place with different hotels and airports and I still have to perform.
I think all of that stuff kind of groomed me for now.
RNO: Taking that comparison between an athlete arriving in town for a game and a comedian traveling for a show a little further. We know athletes can be quite superstitious, i.e. putting their socks on the same way before each game. Do you have any superstitions before you go on stage as a comedian?
Trent McClellan: I used to have a lot when I first started. I couldn’t eat so many hours right before a show, just like a soccer player. And then you get on the road and you start driving through snowstorms and you get to a gig nine minutes before show time and you quickly realize that you could eat a burger during the show and you would just deal with it. I’m not superstitious anymore, but that was kind of out of necessity, as I needed to be able to perform and deliver in different situations, often without a lot of rest or sleep or whatever. So I’m not that superstitious anymore, although I do have a small one. I love to write out a set list before I go on stage and then have that in my pocket. I don’t look at it ever. It’s just there like a security blanket.
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RNO: Like many successful comedians, your material is often based on your life and where you grew up and where you have lived. Fellow Canadian comedian Steve Patterson does a hilarious bit on soccer. Have you ever worked your love of soccer into your act?
Trent McClellan: I have a joke now that I am just finishing off now that is based on the events of the summer Olympics with the Women’s National Team. I talk about the bronze medal game and just how impressed I was with the Women’s soccer team over the course of the Olympics, including the style of play that they played. I also noticed that women don’t dive as much or pretend to be injured as much as male soccer players. And I think that is because women have babies! Women know real pain! It just makes sense – you’re not going to pretend that you have an injured leg when you can make a real leg come out of your birth canal! It’s just not going to happen! That’s the only joke I have in my act about soccer.
RNO: In addition to playing soccer since you were six years old, you have also coached in the Corner Brook Minor Soccer System. I know you are a big believer that the game needs to be taught the right way from an early age if Canada is to compete with the rest of the world. What are your thoughts on the current state of the game in Canada?
Trent McClellan: I think the Women’s National Team has done so much over the last couple of years to raise the profile of the game. And the way they are playing the game, I think they are playing it the right way. I think the biggest thing that Canadian soccer has to look at and evolve in is getting rid of that hockey mentality of when you feel pressure to just get rid of the ball. We have to develop a possession type attitude and that’s got to start from a very young age. You can’t just force that at the senior level. If it is going to be true and it’s going to work, it has to start with really young kids. Quite often you have folks who are volunteer coaches and who are doing their best, but they might not have the right skillsets to coach that style to young players. We need to work with our coaches and teach them that style and focus on possession as something that is very valuable.
We also need to upgrade our facilities across the country. Kids have to play on pitches that aren’t full of holes, so kids can pass the ball across the ground and it doesn’t bounce up by your head. That infrastructure requires money and sponsors. I think we need a complete overhaul at the youth level.
RNO: Canada is famous for producing really funny comedians and comedic actors. As we have already touched on, the life of a comedian can be a nomadic one that is much like a professional soccer player who travels all over the world to play and pursue his or her career. Do you get to watch much soccer while you are travelling all over the place?
Trent McClellan: It’s pretty funny because the first thing I like to do when I get into a new town is to find a sports bar. I love waking up on Saturday and watching all the games. I’m a big Premier League fan. Every time I come to Toronto I do try to base it around coming in the summer, so I can try to catch a TFC game. Last summer I was lucky enough to come and catch a game. And it’s hilarious because I was out in the sun watching the game and having a beer and I kept forgetting that later that night I had a show to do. Hopefully it will work out that way when I go to Vancouver and there will be a Whitecaps game, or even TFC playing the Whitecaps.
RNO: Do you watch a lot of MLS? Which Canadian team do you root for?
Trent McClellan: I’ve been watching MLS since TFC first broke into the league. I watched a few games before that but I didn’t really have a vested interest in it. Once Canada got a team, I became totally into it. TFC is my team and it has been pretty heartbreaking obviously over the last several years. But I do have optimism for this season and that things will turn around.
RNO: What are your favourite memories from following Canada’s national team?
Trent McClellan: I remember when Canada qualified for the 1986 World Cup. I was in Newfoundland watching CBC Sports Weekend and the game was in St. John’s, which was literally an hour away from Corner Brook, where I was living at time. It was amazing watching that and seeing everyone storm the pitch after the game. I really thought that we should have games there all the time. It was at King George V Park, which was my home park later when I moved to St. John’s and that was where I played my senior University games. That is my greatest memory and I always thought, “Wow, this is awesome. We are going to get to go to this every four years.” And to now think that was the last time that we went to a World Cup is kind of disheartening. Hopefully it won’t be too long before Canada qualifies again. Also, Canada’s performance at the most recent Olympics was pretty special as well. Those are the two biggest ones.
RNO: What is upcoming for you? What is the best way for people to follow your career and check you out in person?
Trent McClellan: They can visit my website - http://www.trentscomedy.com. All the show dates are there. I have a tour called ‘Sit, Listen and Laugh’ that is going all across the country. I will be at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in April doing the Gala there. Other than it will generally be me on the road doing what I do, making people laugh and trying to watch as much soccer as I can when I am not on stage.
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