Dave Leaderhouse
Special to the Herald
The Prince Albert Minor Football Association had its turn to showcase its talent on Sunday when a jamboree for players in Grades 6-8 was held at the Wendell Whitter Field.
Teams from Prince Albert, North Battleford, Porcupine Plain, Delisle and Shellbrook competed in 45-minute matches with the focus being on skill development.
“Our program is all about development,” explained Ashley Viklund, one of the coaches that was out on the field working with the players. “It’s a team sport. The Grade 8’s are obviously bigger, but the Grade 6’s are stepping up and making some big plays. It’s been a lot of fun.”
It is a season of change for the local organization as lower-than-expected registration numbers forced the River Riders teams in both the Pee Wee and Bantam divisions to withdraw from competing in the Saskatoon Minor Football League. It is almost 20 years since Prince Albert has not been represented at that level.
In lieu of the normal competitive schedule, minor football has formed a pair of teams from those that have signed up to participate in a series of jamborees. The first was in Delisle a week ago with Prince Albert hosting its event on Sunday. North Battleford will be next up on the schedule this coming weekend with Shellbrook set to welcome a number of teams on Oct. 4. There is also plans to have one final event featuring nine players on each side, but details of that game have yet to be revealed.
The format for the jamboree is simple. Two teams take to the field with each having six players aside – one on offence, the other on defence. The squad that is on offence starts at the 40-yard line and has seven plays to try and reach the end zone. Should they score during any of those seven plays then the ball is returned to the 40-yard line and a new series begins until the seventh play is completed. After the seventh play the squads switch sides with the one having been on offence becoming the defending team while the other club goes from defence to offence.
After every play coaches talk to the players to provide encouragement, but also to explain what went right and what went wrong. Registered officials are also on the field so if any infractions occur they can also step in and offer words of advice.
Every player gets a chance to be on the field. With the score not being a concern, the main goal of development is accomplished. For some it is their first taste of putting on the equipment and for others there has already been a significant amount of exposure to the game. Regardless of the player’s ability, there is a steady diet of getting accustomed to the nuances of the game.
Minor football is hopeful that the excitement created by having these jamborees will spread to others who might want to play the game in the future. For those that are participating this year they will certainly have a lot of reps to improve and continue with the game at a higher level.
