As a youngster, Mike McLenaghen thrived in the sporting breeding fields of Wesburn and Confederation Park community centres but eventually it was the soccer pitch where his talent bloomed the most. By 1972, McLenaghen was playing for British Columbia’s first-ever BC under-18 team which won the Western Canadian championship and came second in the national championship.
The next year, the midfielder/defender made Canada’s initial national youth team and was chosen captain. McLenaghen moved on to play at Simon Fraser University participating in two NAIA national championships.
He was a first-round selection of the Minnesota Kicks in the 1979 North American Soccer League draft. He went on to play for not only the Kicks, but the NASL’s Toronto Blizzard, Los Angeles Aztecs and Edmonton Drillers as well. McLenaghen also competed in eight international games for Canada.
