Minor football has recently kicked off with players preparing for the season in the football camps held at the HJ Cody School field.
The coaches are optimistic for the season’s start, but the Lions team is looking for more players.
Boys and girls in the Bantam ages (13-15) are welcome to register for the team, with having no previous experience.
“Every year we get four or five guys who show up, and all they have ever done is watched football on TV and they come out and they learn,” said Lions head coach Vic Sloboda.
He said players come from schools in Sylvan Lake and smaller surrounding towns such as Eckville.
“Any place that has Grade 8 and 9 students, we could get them in,” Sloboda said.
On this team, new players learn the basics and fundamental skills of football, such as how to stand, tackle and the different positions.
“It’s just coaching,” Sloboda said. “You just start from grassroots right from ground zero and away you go.”
Sloboda’s goal this season is to take the players and form a team which will help them develop skills in knowing how to play and interact with each other.
In addition to playing football with their team, the children learn good habits, work ethics, responsibility and showing respect to their elders.
“They are going to be hard working and give it their all,” Sloboda said. “Even if they aren’t a superstar, they are still going to give it their all to do their best. Those are the good habits that we’re looking for.”
The team has already gone through a week-and-a-half of camp, and Sloboda said it is going well.
He said the learning curve of being on the team is pretty steep, but he said his players are really smart and are coming along really well and are learning the new schemes quickly.
The Lions are scheduled to play three homes games this season and the community is encourage to come out and support the games.