Written by James Ryan
“Football is a game in which two opposing teams of [twelve] players each defend goals at opposite ends of a 100-yard rectangular field, points being scored by carrying an inflated oval ball across the opponent’s goal line or by kicking this ball over the crossbar between the posts of the opponent’s goal.”
Piece of cake, right?
Football (not to be confused with soccer) is without a doubt, one of the most complex and difficult sports for anybody to learn (let alone to actually be good at playing). In order to be successful in football, one requires a rare combination of natural athleticism, an unrelenting work ethic, and the ability to cooperate and sacrifice for the greater good of the team.
That’s right…sacrifice.
Along with, commitment, responsibility, enthusiasm, respect, sportsmanship, and honour.
These are just a few of the qualities that young football players will learn to develop.
Many young men (and women) dream about when they will one day (maybe) play professional sports.
Football not only captures the imagination of youth, but it is an amazing tool to be able to teach young children the values that they will need in order to be successful, not just on the football field, but in life as well.
When asked about his expectations for his team this year, Junior Varsity Head Coach Brian Duguay stated the following:
“I would like to continue to develop the skills of my players, to continue the growth of the Spears organization, to provide knowledge to my players for when they move on to the next level, and to always stress the importance of education.”
After only one week, my personal observation of the Junior Varsity team is that they look incredibly fast and determined to succeed at this level.
The leadership amongst these young men is especially impressive and assuming that this leadership can stay consistent, the Junior Varsity team should most definitely make a major statement this year in the OVFL.
When asked the same question about his expectations for his team, Pee Wee Head Coach Kent Risko had this to say:
“At the risk of sounding cliché, my goal is to make this season fun for the boys. I will teach them to think about and understand the game of football, and I will teach them the basic skills needed to be successful. Also, I fully expect to compete for a championship this year. We are going to shock a lot of people.”
Without a doubt, these incredible Pee Wee prospects represent some of the best young athletes in the entire Niagara Region.
Despite the fact that this is the first year that the Spears have been able to put a travel Pee Wee team together, these are a group of players that are anything but inexperienced.
Many of these boys had already been playing together for years, thanks in large part to the Niagara Regional Minor Football Association.
If any of the opposition dares to take this team lightly, they are going to be in for a very rude awakening.
Word of the week: Respect
Respect for self, respect for your teammates, respect for your opponents, but most of all, respect for the game itself.
And in case you are wondering…
Registration for all three Niagara Spears teams will continue to be held up until Saturday, March 20th. An extension will be given to the Varsity program to better accommodate any returning College or University players.
Pee Wee Spears hopefuls must be 14 or under, Junior Varsity Spears 16 or under, and Varsity Spears 19 or under as of June 1st, 2010.
On-line registration information may be found on the Spears website at www.niagaraspears.com.
See you at the game, folks!
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Pee Wee Head Coach Kent Risko welcomes the players
Tire Flip Drill
Footwork Drill
Plyometric Box Jump Drill
Quarterback/Wide Receiver Drill
Junior Varsity Head Coach Brian Duguay congratulates the players on a great first week of try-outs
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