The people trying to bring junior football to this region are excited to announce that the team, known as the Southeast Junior Roughnecks, is slated to begin play next year.
Jason Bresciani, who is at the helm of the initiative along with Frank DeBruyn, said they won’t be able to get the team off the ground in 2019, so they will begin play in 2020.
“It will give us a year to get our sponsorship in order and get the operational costs in the bank. We should be officially going next year,” Bresciani told the Mercury.
The goal will be to have a fall camp later this year, then move into an offseason winter program to get ready for next year.
A meeting for prospective players will take place on June 22 at the Western Star Hotel in Estevan, starting at 7 p.m. The Roughnecks can accept players who are between the ages of 18 and 21 at the end of this year.
Coaches are also needed for the program.
“Right away we want to start reaching out to anybody who is interested in coaching who wants to commit to the 2020 season,” said Bresciani.
Anyone interested in coaching can email southeast.jr.football@gmail.com. Applications will be due by June 8. Then they will make their selection.
Prospective players who can’t make it to the meeting are also encouraged to email DeBruyn and Bresciani.
The Roughnecks are also still looking for people to be on the board, and they are also in need of sponsors.
Operation costs would be the biggest needs, to cover busing, hotels, food, field rentals and other expenses.
“Our normal operational costs are going to be quite a bit. We’re doing our best with equipment to get as many hand-me downs as we can.”
Sponsors would be needed for equipment, jerseys and even travel.
Bresciani stressed the team has received some great support from the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Regina Thunder. The Roughriders provided equipment to the Thunder, who in turn supplied it to the Roughnecks. It’s still in good shape, and it’s still certified, or the Roughnecks wouldn’t have acquired it.
“If it wasn’t for the Riders donating along the line, we wouldn’t have equipment already,” he said.
Bresciani and DeBruyn announced their intention earlier this year to bring junior football to the southeast, in an effort to give kids a chance to play football locally after high school. They would be playing in the Manitoba Major Junior Football League, which has teams in Winnipeg and Brandon.
Communication is ongoing between the Roughnecks and the league, and Bresciani said the club would be welcome into the league next year.
Bresciani believes there is still a lot of interest in this team.
“I believe there is still a good buzz around there, and a buzz around the area,” said Bresciani. “Myself and Frank DeBruyn, we’ve still been getting approached at the rinks. We do get some Facebook messages, and the interest is there. We just have to keep pushing and keep promoting it.
“That’s the biggest thing right now. We have to promote who we are and what we are, and why we’re doing this.”
This is not just an Estevan team. This is a regional initiative, and they have received interest from prospective players in Weyburn, Carlyle, Moosomin and other communities.
