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2003 was another year of growth for the Capital Area
Minor Football Association. A record 564 players aged 7 and up played on 24 teams in
8 different programs. This represents an increase of 12% over the 502 that
participated in 2002. On the field, the Oromocto Alouettes won the six team Squirt Flag (Ages 7-9) championship
for the third year in a row in
that league's 8th season while the Oromocto Red Dogs won the title in the 5th
year of our six team Mosquito (Ages 9-11) program. The Albert Street Eagles
were
our Middle School champions, defeating the Oromocto Leopards 36-32 in
the championship game. The Eagles lost 26-0 to the Simonds Sharks in the
provincial PeeWee semi-final.
The Oromocto Junior Blues won the Capital Area Junior Varsity championship,
dropping the Fredericton Junior Black Kats 14-0 in the final. The Blues defeated
the Riverview Junior Royals 34-16 in the New Brunswick Bantam
championship game and by doing so they became the first ever team football team
from Oromocto to win a New Brunswick championship at any age level. The Blues
would go on to lose 12-7 to the Timberlea Titans in the Maritime Championship
game.
The Capital Area
"Gladiators" 17 &
Under Elite, 15 & Under Elite and 13 & Under Elite
teams all played a home and home series with teams from Fundy, winning all three
series. In 15 & Under Elite Fundy and Capital Area combined to form Team New
Brunswick West. Team West dropped a 28-19 decision to Team Nova Scotia before
besting Team Moncton 33-9.
Capital Area Minor Football was actively involved in the third year of the four
team New Brunswick Senior Football League. The Capital Area Gladiators team
participated in the league and used C.A.M.F.A. gear. The Gladiators would end
the season with a record of 2-4.
Individually, a number of our volunteers were honoured. Our association's
"Coach of the Year" was
Ian MacMillan . Ian acted as the Head Coach for both the
Fredericton Junior Black Kats and the Fredericton Bantam Black Kats. Sylvette
Basque was selected to receive the association's
"Ted Mather Volunteer of the Year" award. Sylvette acted as
Manager of the Leo Hayes Junior Lions for the past two seasons and worked well
above and beyond the call of duty. Terry and Marion McIntyre received the
City of Fredericton "Unsung Hero" award.
Oromocto Junior Blues coach Jeff Murdock and his wife, team manager Kelly
Murdock,
were jointly selected as the 2003 Football New Brunswick Bantam Volunteer of
the Year. The Blues defeated the Riverview Junior Royals 34-16 in the
New Brunswick Bantam championship game and by doing so they became the
first ever team football team from Oromocto to win a New Brunswick championship
at any age level. Their fundraising efforts over the past two seasons also
resulted in fitting the team with new helmets, game pants and game jerseys.
Off the field a large number of significant events took place. Our website keeps
growing in size and is becoming more and more popular. Since its launch in
December, 1999 we have had almost 78,000 visitors. Our website Trivia
Quiz,
now in its 5th year complete
with CFL and CAMFA merchandise for prizes, continues to be very popular. We held our
5th
Annual Fastest Player Competition. C.A.M.F.A. players wearing their game jerseys were
admitted free to the Fredericton High vs Leo Hayes High North-South Bowl
football game. At halftime,
representatives from each the teams in our four divisions participated in 40
yard races to determine the fastest player. We also held our 5th Annual Pass,
Punt and Kick competition. Our 13 & Under winner, Jordan Gardiner went on
to finish second in the New Brunswick championship.
On the fundraising front the association
made $3,500 by selling "Varsity Gold Cards" and another $2,500 from having
parent volunteers do team pictures. This money was used to pay for year end
Pizza Parties for all teams and to buy trophies for every single player on every
team. The association raffled off a digital camera and other prizes to net
$5,500. Tag Days at the Boyce Farmers market produced $1,000 and bottle drives
netted another $3,000. All these initiatives have allowed the association to
almost completely eliminate the debt accumulated from its rapid growth during
the last five years.
We were able to form a fourth Junior Varsity entry by dividing the Fredericton
Junior Varsity Black Kats into two squads, the Junior Black Kats and the Bantam
Black Kats. Many thanks to Pizza Twice for sponsoring the
jerseys. Wal-Mart sponsored new jerseys for our Gladiators 15 & Under
Elite team. Tim Horton's sponsored new practice jerseys for all the teams in our
Mosquito League. For the third year Devon Lumber paid for the T-Shirts worn by
our Squirt Flag teams. We converted our Northside Mounties PeeWee team into the
Nashwaaksis Middle School Nordics with Dairy Queen covering the cost of the
team's new jerseys.
Capital Area Football paid $250 bursaries to John Fiset of Fredericton
High School and Josh Gervais of Leo Hayes High. The Town of Oromocto spent
$2,500 on uprights that were installed at newly developed Hubbard Field, the
first field in the area designed and developed specifically for use by our
Squirt and Mosquito programs. Also, for the first time, the City of Fredericton
painted a complete set of football lines on the two fields at Morell Park used
by the Squirt and Mosquito programs. The Association had portable football
uprights manufactured that were installed on top of the soccer goals at Morell
before each Squirt and Mosquito game.
During 2003 we were also able to conduct a Canadian Football Officials
Association Level I clinic and certify more much needed new officials for our
programs. We now have 20 certified officials doing our games.
We held a
National Coaching Certification Program Level I Technical Clinic at Leo Hayes High
School for 15 coaches.
Local football legend Donnie Davis held a quarterbacks and receivers development
camp in July, 2003. Former Capital Area Minor player Dan McCullough was
selected to play for Team Canada at the Global Junior Football Championships
held in San Diego in conjunction with the Super Bowl.
For
2004 we are very much involved
with efforts to start a June-August New Brunswick Women's Tackle Football
League. The local entry in the proposed four team league would be known as
the Capital Area Lady Gladiators and would use C.A.M.F.A. gear that would
otherwise be in storage. Efforts to involve females in our sport in a truly
meaningful way are long overdue. If this league goes it would be the first
all-female tackle football league in Canada.
We will once again be operating
13 & Under, 15 & Under and 17 & Under Elite teams that will compete in
tournaments scheduled for May 24 and May 30 against teams from Fundy, Moncton
and Nova Scotia.
Our teams and volunteers will continue their fundraising efforts in
earnest. New
practice jerseys and combination practice-game pants are our Middle School teams
are our biggest priority. We also will continue to upgrade the helmets used by
our Middle School and Mosquito teams.
The Town of Oromocto will be developing another playing field adjacent to
Harold Peterson Middle School and have already ordered uprights for the site. It
is likely that this will become our Mosquito practice and game field with
Hubbard Field serving the same function for Squirt.
The City of Fredericton will be installing our portable uprights at
Morell Park at the beginning of the football season and leaving them there until
the end of our season. This will save us a significant amount of work in setting
up the two fields for games.
Capital Area Minor Football is trying to become a partner in the proposed
field complex that is being organized by the Fredericton District Soccer
Association for the Nashwaaksis Middle School Field. This project would include
the installation of all-weather "field turf", lights, fencing and
bleachers.
On the development front, CAMFA will be hosting a National Coaching
Certification Program Level I clinic at Leo Hayes High School
on May 1-2, 2004.
While we got ourselves better organized in 2003 we still are in dire need of
reliable volunteers in all areas of our organization. If you can help, please
volunteer!
Terry McIntyre, President
Capital Area Minor Football Association
March 31, 2004
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