With NFL playoffs now down to just one game for all the marbles, the Prince George Minor Football Association isn't letting winter get in the way of those who dream of themselves someday playing in the Super Bowl.
On Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Northern Sport Centre for the next month, the PGMFA is offering off-season conditioning sessions that focus on teaching drills and skills for players gearing up for the minor and high school football seasons.
"We want to keep kids active because a lot of them sit down in front of a TV during the off-season and don't get enough exercise," said PGMFA president Ryan Bellamy. "This gives them an opportunity to stay in shape and advance their skill sets."
The sessions started a couple weeks ago and Bellamy said they've been well-attended, with between 40 and 45 players at each. Coaches from the PGMFA and high school ranks, and junior football players past and present conduct the sessions and scrimmages. Cost is $5 per player for each session.
Bellamy said the winter practices give former Prince George high school players like Derek Apps, Cory Rawlings, Taylor Cherkas and Tyler Thompson a chance to pass on their knowledge of football and what it took for them to make their respective junior teams and that has an energizing effect on younger players who aspire to advance to the next level.
The practices are a lead-in to the fourth annual Northern Football Combine, an annual advanced skills camp for players aged 13-18, set for Feb. 25-27 at the Northern Sport Centre. The combine brings in coaches from UBC, Simon Fraser University, and the B.C. Junior Football League, who get a chance to scout the local talent pool. That results in dozens of players from the city being offered tryouts during the summer for those teams and many of those players end up making the roster.
The combine sessions will be split into two age divisions -- junior varsity (Grades 7-9) and high school (Grade 10-12). Last year's combine drew 100 players and Bellamy expects that to grow to 140 this year.
For more information, go to www.pgmfa.ca.
