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2005 was another year of growth for the Capital Area
Minor Football Association. A total of 686 players aged 7 and up played on 28 teams in
9 different programs. This represents an increase of 12% over the 615 that
participated in 2004. On the field, the Fredericton Eskimos won the eight team Squirt Flag (Ages 7-9) championship
in
that league's 10th season while the West End Rough Riders won the title in the
7th
year of our six team Mosquito (Ages 9-11) program. The Albert Street Eagles
were
our Middle School champions for the fourth year in a row, defeating the
Oromocto Panthers 36-6 in
the championship game. Albert Street lost a hard fought 8-2 decision to the Riverview Lions in the
provincial PeeWee final. The Eagles had the ball inside the Lions 10 yard
line on three different occasions but were unable to score.
The Oromocto Junior Blues won the Capital Area Bantam championship with
a come from behind 12-6 victory over the Fredericton Junior Black Kats. The
Blues lost a heartbreaking 20-15 decision in double overtime to the Moncton
Junior Highlanders in the provincial semi-final.
The Squirt Flag League expanded by two teams with the Fredericton Lions
and Oromocto Blue Bombers joining the fold. The Devon Middle School Wildcats
operated for the first time in 2005, bringing the number of Middle School
teams to five. The 4th Annual Southside Bowl Game between the Albert
Street Eagles and the George Street Crusaders was held at College Field on the
U.N.B. campus with the entire student bodies (1,300 kids) of both schools in
attendance. The Nashwaaksis Nordics and Devon Wildcats played the 1st Annual
Northside Bowl Game at the Nasis Field before 900 students from the two
schools.
The Capital Area
"Gladiators" 17 &
Under team played games against Fundy, Moncton and Nova Scotia. The 15 & Under
Gladiators played
a home and home series with Nova Scotia. The 13 & Under Gladiators program proved so popular that two teams were operated, the Trojan
Gladiators and the
Spartan Gladiators. The two teams played one another 3 times as well as a
game each with the Fundy team.
Capital Area Minor Football was actively involved
again in operating the Capital Area Gladiators men's team in its
fifth year of existence. The four
team New Brunswick Senior Football League added two more teams
and changed its name to the New Brunswick Football Conference of the Maritime
Football League. The Gladiators ended
the season with a record of 1-6.
The Capital Area Lady Gladiators women's tackle football team operated
in its second season as part of the three team New Brunswick Women's Football
League. The Lady Gladiators, made up of 29 ladies aged 16 and up played a total of
seven games
against teams from Saint John and Moncton.
Individually, a number of our volunteers were honoured. Our association's
"Coach of the Year" was
Ed Curtis. Ed did a super job of organizing the Nashwaaksis Axemen
team, getting almost all the parents involved in running some aspect of the
team. The Axemen lost a hard fought 9-8 decision to the West End Rough Riders in
the Capital Area Mosquito championship game.
Kelly Huskins was selected to receive the association's
"Ted Mather Volunteer of the Year" award. Kelly organized,
fundraised, coordinated team pictures and managed the New Maryland Mosquito
Rams.
O.J. Burnett was selected as the "2005 Football New
Brunswick PeeWee Volunteer of the Year" for his work in starting a team
at Devon Middle School. Larry Wisniewski received the "Football
New Brunswick Lifetime Service Award". Terry Mcintyre received
the "2005 Town of Oromocto Mayor's Award for Outstanding Service to
Youth" in recognition of his having started minor football in Oromocto
in 1996.
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 over 150,000 visitors. Our website Trivia
Quiz,
now in its 7th year and complete
with CFL and CAMFA merchandise for prizes, continues to be very popular. We held our
7th
Annual Fastest Player Competition. C.A.M.F.A. players wearing their game jerseys were
admitted free to the Leo Hayes High vs Ecole Odyssee 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 7th Annual Pass,
Punt and Kick competition. Our 11 & Under winner, Philippe Long went on
to win in the New Brunswick championship held at Mount Allison University.
On the fundraising front the association
made $3,800 by selling "Varsity Gold Cards". Bottle drives in the
spring and fall netted over to $7,500. 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 Wittenauer watch and other prizes to net
more than $6,000.
Sponsors contributed another $7,000 to the budget. For the fifth year Devon Lumber paid for the T-Shirts worn by
our Squirt Flag teams. Dairy Queen agreed to sponsor a set of high
quality game jerseys to be used by both our men's and 17 & Under teams. St.
Mary's Entertainment Centre purchased game and practice jerseys for the new
Devon Middle School Wildcats. Pizza Twice sponsored a new set of game jerseys
for the Junior Black Kats. Scotia McLeod made a significant donation towards the
purchase of new game jerseys for the Oromocto Panthers and new practice jerseys
for the Junior Blues.
Capital Area Minor Football paid $250 bursaries to Marc Belliveau of Fredericton
High School and Todd Munn of Leo Hayes High. The City of Fredericton lined
another field at Liverpool Street School for use by our expanding Squirt
program.
During May, 2005 we held a National Coaching Certification Program Level I Technical Clinic at Leo Hayes High
School for 18 coaches.
Local football legend Donnie Davis held
held his 4th Annual quarterbacks and receivers development
camp in July.
After ten years at the helm long time Capital Area president Terry McIntyre
stepped down and Walter Stacey took over the top job. Terry will remained
involved with the organization doing administration, officiating and special
projects.
C.A.M.FA. spent over $108,000 in 2005, including $25,000 on tackle football
equipment, $20,000 on uniforms and $10,000 on awards.
For
2006 we are hoping to add another
Middle School team in Oromocto to be called the Tigers and made up of students
from Ridgeview Middle School.
Efforts will be continued to get a Bantam team going in Miramichi. We have found
two potential coaches and are presently seeking organizers living there.
The popularity of our Squirt Flag program continues to grow. We may see another
two teams join this league in 2006. Potential exists for the Oromocto Renegades
and Fredericton Storm to begin operations and bring the total number of teams to
ten.
Last year Capital Area Minor Football purchased flag football kit bags for use
in the Oromocto elementary and middle schools. Efforts to organize spring flag
football programs in these schools in 2005 were nixed by the teachers' work to
rule campaign. We are optimistic that this program will take flight in 2006.
We will once again be operating
13 & Under, 15 & Under and 17 & Under spring programs.
Negotiations to set up organized Spring Leagues with Saint John and Moncton are
expected to take place in the near future.
Capital Area Minor Football continues to lobby for better playing field
facilities. Rumours are circulating that College Field at U.N.B. will have a
"field turf" surface in time for the 2007 season.
On the development front, CAMFA will be hosting a National Coaching
Certification Program Level I clinic at Leo Hayes High School some time in May,
2006.
While we got ourselves better organized in
2005 we still need reliable volunteers in all areas of our organization. If you can help, please
volunteer!
Walter Stacey, President
Capital Area Minor Football Association
March 10, 2006
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