By TERRY PUGH
The Maddogs minor football teams are gearing up for a new season in the Kinsmen Football League (KFL), a tackle football program that operates under the umbrella of the Saskatoon Minor Football Association.
They’re also pumped about playing on a new home field. The Maddogs made the switch this year to the football field at Warman High School (WHS). Along the way, the teams also adopted a new logo incorporating the traditional orange and black colour scheme.
The move to the new field is part of an organizational change within the Maddogs program that saw the merger of Warman and Martensville KFL teams earlier this year. Drawing kids from both communities provides enough players to make the program much more viable, according to Marshall Seed, a Warman City Councillor and volunteer with the Maddogs bantam team.
“Last year we had two teams in Warman,” said Seed. “But the numbers were slim. We had about 25 players for the bantam team, which meant that a lot of players were on the field a lot – playing both offense and defense.
“In Martensville, it was the same situation. Neither community had enough for a team on its own. So, we got together and decided to combine under the Maddogs logo. We’re holding practices in both Martensville and Warman, but hosting games in Warman at the high school. It’s got good drainage and an excellent location.”
The teams also include youth from surrounding communities, said Seed, adding the bantam Maddogs will see about 47 kids on the roster.
Jeremy Taylor, the head coach of the bantam Maddogs team, said the team has started practices in preparation for their season opener at home on Sunday, September 7.
(Both the peewee and bantam teams host games September 7 at WHS Field – with peewees at 1 p.m. and bantams at 3 p.m. Both teams also host home games Sunday, September 14 and Sunday, October 5.)
“We’re definitely looking forward to the new season,” said Taylor. “It’s so rewarding to see the kids from different areas come together and bond , both on and off the field. Football is the ultimate team sport because there’s a role for every player, regardless of their size and ability; and everyone has to work together to have a successful team.
“It’s a sport that creates friendships that last for years, because in game situations, you go through experiences that bring you closer together.
“But mostly, it’s about seeing kids have fun.”
Taylor, a Saskatoon Hilltops alumnus, has also coached hockey and soccer. He said tackle football is a physically demanding sport that “helps kids find things in themselves that they don’t find out elsewhere.”
But, as in all sports, the key to success is mastering the fundamentals of the game, he noted.
“If you can’t do the fundamentals properly, you will struggle,” he said. “You need to learn basic skills before you can move on to other aspects of the game.
“One of the basic fundamentals is learning to play safe contact, and being able to protect yourself. Safety is so important, because football is a game that you have to play at full speed.”
The bantam Maddogs practice sbegin with individual exercises before players move into smaller groups to practice specific skills. The practices wind up with drills or scrimmages involving the whole team.
Taylor said the move to the WHS facility also has the added benefit of the teams being able to use a classroom in WHS for reviewing video footage of games.
“Watching and analyzing the film makes a big difference,” said Taylor. “Having the ability to go into a classroom for half an hour to study the previous game helps players see their weak points objectively; and then they can correct those mistakes.”
Seed said the current partnership with the high school bodes well for the possible return of high school football to Warman.
“We’re hoping to continue conversations with the incoming principal of Warman High School,” said Seed. “And we’re looking at steps required by the school board and the school to potentially bring football back to Warman High School.
“Right now we have a lot of kids in Warman who are wanting to play football and would prefer to stay here rather than go to a school in Saskatoon.”
Seed said Martensville has a very robust high school football program, and the two communities may be able to collaborate in the future with one high school home to a junior team while the other has a senior team.
“That way we’re not competing for the same group of kids.’ said Seed.