While the planned season for an under-18 varsity team likely isn’t going to proceed, Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football still hopes some things could happen for those athletes.
Minor football, and other football organizations in southern Saskatchewan, planned to have a six-week season in May and June that would have given high school football players, particularly those in Grade 12, a chance to play football this season. Last fall’s high school football season was cancelled.
The provincial government, in its recent plan to reopen the province, indicated that youth and adult team sports might be able to resume in the spring or early summer. Team sports are part of Step 2 in the province’s three-part road map to reopening the province. Step 2 will occur three weeks after 70 per cent of people over the age of 30 have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. As of Monday morning, 59 per cent had their first dose.
Mortenson said the minor football organizations are optimistic about this development.
“I thought it was pretty positive what (Premier) Scott Moe and chief medical health officer Dr. (Saqib) Shahab had to say,” said EMF president Kevin Mortenson.
It would have been nice to have a spring football league this year, especially after the high school campaign was dashed.
“We did try to get them a season, and most of the ones I talked to appreciated the effort,” said Mortenson.
The back-up plan is for a mini-tournament to take place for under-18 teams, to give those players a chance to play some football this year.
Minor football will start conditioning sessions for the U18 athletes on May 11.
“Anybody who wants to play football, that’s enrolled in Grade 9 to Grade 12, can attend,” said Mortenson. “I think conditioning is only going to be once a week for the month, and then if we are able to have that tournament … we’ll have to start going a little harder.”
There would likely only be a couple weeks of practices to get ready for that tournament.
Minor football is currently limited to groups of eight players and a coach practising together within a bubble on a part of the field, and they have to respect social distancing requirements.
Conditioning will begin soon for the Estevan Kinette Club Viragos U17 female team, but a decision has not been made for the EMF’s other existing clubs.
Mortenson said there is more optimism for the upcoming minor football seasons that begin in the late summer for the U15, U13, U11 and girls teams.
“I’m pointing to let’s get ready for that, but let’s make sure kids are getting their conditioning in ahead of time, before all of the restrictions are lifted. Hopefully everybody keeps social distancing, and does what they’re recommending, and we’ll be playing football sooner rather than later.”
