As the future football stars in Prince Albert await the start of a new season, those involved in helping them develop are on the search for coaches.
The Prince Albert Minor Football Association are on the lookout for those who want to be involved in leading the way for their fall programs when they get underway in August.
“We do have a fairly dedicated group of people that have been around since we started 10 years ago, but many of the coaches are starting to step back a bit as their kinds graduate from the program,” Prince Albert Minor Football Association board member Taras Kachkowski said.
“We do have guys from the high school ranks who are playing for the (Carlton) Crusaders and the (St. Mary) Marauders that are helping out, but we are in need of adult coaches that can help to run a program.”
The biggest hole that the PAMFA are trying to fill at the moment is for the position of program coordinator for the River Riders Atom program, which is for players aged nine and 10.
“If we can’t find someone for that position, we are danger of not having that program this year,” Kachkowski said.
“As many people know, we also one of our long time coaches in the Pee Wee ranks as Wendell Whitter passed away this past month, so we’ve taken some time to mourn his passing and we’re going to try and fill that hole as we go forward.”
While the coaching community in Prince Albert is much smaller compared to places like Regina and Saskatoon, Kachkowski believes that there is a strong base of former football players that are in the area that can help the program.
“I’m sure there’s people that have played with the (Saskatchewan) Huskies, (Saskatoon) Hilltops, (Regina) Rams, (Regina) Thunder, our high school programs in Prince Albert and for teams wherever they grew up if they aren’t from here originally,” Kachkowski said. “Plus, females are welcome to coach and play with our program, as we’ve had a couple of former Saskatoon Valkyries as part of our coaching staffs in the past.
“Certainly having a good playing and coaching background is a major help, but our main goal is to find people who have a good knowledge of the game. If you’ve played four years of high school football, that’s more than the average eight to 10-year-old player has”
Those who want to get involved as a coach can contact Bob Coffin at 306-922-4184 or via e-mail at boblcoffin@hotmail.com.
Registration for the River Riders atom, pee wee and bantam program are open until August 27 and can be done online at www.pariverriders.com.
