Scores of kids join ranks of minor football
Rob Vanstone, Leader-Post
Published: Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Minor football is experiencing a major boom.

The ranks have swelled to 43 teams -- five more than the previous peak total, established last year -- and approximately 1,500 players. That is a far cry from 1999, when Regina Minor Football's overall roster consisted of 425 youngsters.

"I'm not sure what the reasons are, but football in Regina and the surrounding communities is huge,'' RMF president Kelly Hamilton says.

Canadians' Isaac Buhlmann gets tackled by Cougars' Sean Finkeldey (left) and Justin Ford during their Regina Minor Football atom division game Monday.
Bryan Schlosser, Leader-Post

"I couldn't explain it three years ago, and we've grown 150 per cent since then. We've grown over 300 per cent since 1999. The important thing is that we want to provide the kids with an opportunity to play good football.''

Those opportunities are certainly being seized, judging by the exponential growth of minor football in the Queen City and district.

"If you provide accountability and credibility from an organizational standpoint, hopefully it will make it fun for the kids,'' says Hamilton, who has been the RMF president since 1999. "That's why you play football.

"We have kids telling other kids in the playground and the schoolyard that they had a blast playing minor football and that 'you should play football.' The kids are selling football and there's no better way to do this.''

However, the rapid progress has created some strains on the system.

At the same time that player registration is steadily ascending, the ranks of the on-field officials are diminishing. Meanwhile, more coaches and venues are required.

"One of the problems we have is not having a playing surface like Taylor Field and the University of Regina practice field,'' says Hamilton, who notes that RMF does play occasional games on Taylor Field and at the U of R. "We don't have a 24/7 surface to play on.

"We've talked to the City of Regina and we've been in talks with the soccer community about getting an artificial surface at Leibel Field. With the growth of sports in the community, it would be a huge accomplishment to get it done by next season.

"We're proud of the numbers, but it does create some challenges.''

One challenge would be for all parties to formulate and execute a plan that would enable a $1.6-million artificial surface to be financed and installed by 2008.

RMF teams are limited to green spaces for their practices because the City of Regina wants to save its grass fields for game days.

Under the current arrangement, inclement weather can render grass fields unplayable. That can create a domino effect in terms of scheduling and logistics.

"We've got 180-some games and a 21/2-month schedule,'' Hamilton says. "There's not many days you can reschedule. An all-weather field would eliminate that problem completely.''

Hamilton would rather use the word "challenge'' than "problem.'' Yes, there are challenges, but RMF embraces them.

Take equipment, for example. The gear used to be stored in a 1,000-square-foot area. The storage space is now 2,500 square feet, and even that is quickly becoming insufficient.

"We're asking for more space because we're busting at the seams,'' Hamilton says. "Those challenges have been great, but those are some of the things that we're faced with as the league continues to grow. It's a good problem to have.''

RMF offers three divisions -- atom (11 and under), pee wee (13 and under) and bantam (15 and under). The regular season began Monday. Finals are scheduled for Sept. 30 (atom) and Oct. 20 (bantam and pee wee).

Registration costs are $130 (atom) and $165 (bantam and pee wee). RMF has about 1,300 players from Regina and another 200 from nearby communities (such as Weyburn, Lumsden, Wilcox, Balgonie, Qu'Appelle, Emerald Park and White City).

Interest has skyrocketed under the administration of Hamilton and vice-president Len Antonini, who were teammates with the junior Regina Rams and are now firefighters. They are quick to credit all the volunteers for the continuing growth of RMF.

"The growth of minor football has been great, but we need the rest of the community to grow with us -- officials, coaches, green spaces for practice . . .,'' Hamilton says. "We can even go one step further with the board of directors. We struggle year after year to find people who are willing to commit time and have a passion for football at the grassroots level.''

That can lead to some extended -- but fulfilling -- days for the volunteers who are in place. Hamilton, for example, commemorated his birthday on Monday by administering late registrations and helping to fit players with equipment.

It was an unspectacular way to turn 48, but hitting 43 -- as in the number of teams -- is a far bigger deal for the RMF president.

"We do everything we can to provide opportunities for the kids,'' Hamilton says. "That's why we're here.''

© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2007 

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