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2004 was another year of growth for the Capital Area
Minor Football Association. A total of 615 players aged 7 and up played on 24 teams in
9 different programs. This represents an increase of 9% over the 564 that
participated in 2003. On the field, the Fredericton Stampeders won the six team Squirt Flag (Ages 7-9) championship
in
that league's 9th season while the Nashwaaksis Axemen won the title in the 6th
year of our six team Mosquito (Ages 9-11) program. The Albert Street Eagles
were
our Middle School champions for the third year in a row, defeating the
Naashwaaksis Nordics 26-1 in
the championship game. The Eagles lost 22-14 to the Riverview Lions in the
provincial PeeWee semi-final.
The Fredericton Junior Black Kats won the Capital Area Bantam championship,
dropping the Oromocto Junior Blues 35-0 in the final. The Kats defeated the
Hampton Junior Huskies 59-0 in the provincial semi-final and then got by
the Moncton Junior Highlanders 22-0 in the provincial championship game. The
Black Kats then finished off the season with a 57-0 blowout of the Timberlea Titans in the Maritime Championship
game. This victory made them the first team from Capital Area to ever win a
Maritime Championship at any age level. During 2004 the Junior Kats went 10-0,
scored 405 points and did not give up a single point to the opposition.
The Capital Area
"Gladiators" 17 &
Under Elite team played games against Fundy and Nova Scotia.
The 15 & Under Elite Gladiators played in a tournament with
teams from Fundy, Moncton and Nova Scotia. Capital Area won the tournament final
with a hard fought 13-8 victory over Nova Scotia on a cold, wet day in Halifax.
The
13 & Under Elite
Gladiators played a home and home series with Fundy.
Capital Area Minor Football was actively involved in the
fourth 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 2-5.
For the first time in history Capital Area Minor Football fielded an all female
tackle football team. The
Lady Gladiators, made up of 25 ladies aged 15-50 played a total of six games
against a team from Saint John.
Individually, a number of our volunteers were honoured. Our association's
"Coach of the Year" was
Chuck Proudfoot. Chuck guided the Albert Street Eagles to their
third consecutive Middle School championship.
Walter Stacey was selected to receive the association's
"Ted Mather Volunteer of the Year" award. Walter organized,
officiated and maintained the associations large equipment inventory.
Fredericton Junior Black Kats coach Mike Young was selected as the 2004 Football New Brunswick Bantam
Volunteer of
the Year. The Black Kats had a perfect season going undefeated and
unscored upon on their way to winning the Maritime Championship.
Michele Madore was selected as the winner of the 2004 Football New Brunswick
Gridiron Award for her outstanding efforts in fundraising for Capital
Area Minor Football. Over the past three years her initiatives eliminated the
association's $40,000 deficit.
Long time football volunteer Norm Seguin received the Football New
Brunswick Lifetime Service Award.
After spending time in Regina and Sudbury, Norm moved to Fredericton where
he started the high school football program at Oromocto High School. He also
served as president of the New Brunswick High School Football League. In CAMFA
Norm has been a coach, official and team
manager.
Gene Heather received the Town of Oromocto "Carrie Howe Volunteer Service
Award" for his outstanding contribution as a volunteer in recreation and
sport. Gene has coached in our association since 1999 and in some
years coached two different teams in the same season.
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 112,000 visitors. Our website Trivia
Quiz,
now in its 6th year complete
with CFL and CAMFA merchandise for prizes, continues to be very popular. We held our
6th
Annual Fastest Player Competition. C.A.M.F.A. players wearing their game jerseys were
admitted free to the Fredericton High vs Tantramar High 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 6th Annual Pass,
Punt and Kick competition. Our 15 & Under winner, Daniel Reid went on
to finish second in the New Brunswick championship.
On the fundraising front the association
made $3,500 by selling "Varsity Gold Cards". Bottle drives in the
spring and fall netted close to $10,000. 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
$6,000.
For the
fourth year Devon Lumber paid for the T-Shirts worn by
our Squirt Flag teams. Dairy Queen purchased practice jerseys for
all four teams in our Middle School football league.
Capital Area Football paid $250 bursaries to Jeff Gilchrist, Joel
Anderson and Nick Coleman of Fredericton
High School and Brandon Mapplebeck of Leo Hayes High. The Town of Oromocto spent
$2,500 on uprights that were installed at newly developed Gesner-Peterson Field,
the second 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
installed football
uprights on top of the soccer goals at Morell Park for use by our Squirt and Mosquito
programs.
During 2004 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 more than 20 certified officials doing our games.
We held a National Coaching Certification Program Level I Technical Clinic at Leo Hayes High
School for 8 coaches.
Local football legend Donnie Davis held
held his 3rd Annual quarterbacks and receivers development
camp in July, 2004.
For
2005 we will be involved
with efforts expand the June-August New Brunswick Women's Tackle Football
League from two teams to four.
An initiative is underway to to start a football team at Devon Middle School.
There is also a possibility that the Oromocto Leopards team will be divided into
two new teams, the Tigers and the Panthers. Contacts have made in the City of
Miramichi regarding a Bantam team there.
Capital Area Minor Football has purchased flag football kit bags for six
Oromocto elementary schools. Efforts are being made to organize a spring flag
football program in these schools.
We will once again be operating
13 & Under, 15 & Under and 17 & Under Elite teams that will compete in
tournaments scheduled for May 15, 23, 29 and June 5 against teams from Fundy, Moncton
and Nova Scotia.
Our teams and volunteers will continue their fundraising efforts in
earnest. New game jerseys for the 17 & Under and senior Gladiators are on
our wish list. We also will continue to upgrade the helmets used by
our Middle School and Mosquito teams.
Capital Area Minor Football continues to lobby for better playing field
facilities. The most promising possibility may be a public-private partnership
to upgrade the game field at Leo Hayes High School.
On the development front, CAMFA will be hosting a National Coaching
Certification Program Level I clinic at Leo Hayes High School
on May 7-8, 2005.
While we got ourselves better organized in 2004 we still need reliable volunteers in all areas of our organization. If you can help, please
volunteer!
Terry McIntyre, President
Capital Area Minor Football Association
April 10, 2005
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