The Innisfail Minor Football Association (IMFA) is ready to begin the season.
The local football club began pre-season practices mid-August to prepare players both mentally and physically for the upcoming season.
“We started skills and drills about two weeks ago (in early August) and this is our first week of official practice,” said Michelle Caron, club manager. “It's like a summer camp to get players motivated and excited about football again. We're still handling new registrations and still accepting registrations.”
The football association includes atom, peewee and bantam divisions and so far into the pre-season have about 50 players registered for minor football this year, including four or five girls playing with the atom team, noted Caron.
The IMFA peewee and bantam cyclones are part of the Central Football League and play in their respective divisions. They kick off their regular season on Sept. 10, which runs until Oct. 29.
Playoffs begin at the end of October and finish on Nov. 12.
Practices will be held three days a week on the Innisfail High School football field, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with the exception of atoms who will hold their practices from 5 to 6 p.m.
“We do have some neat, new tackling equipment for the club and we did purchase some new things,” said Caron, noting that they are looking for new coaches at the peewee and atom levels, and some members of the Innisfail High School football team are helping out as junior coaches. “We also have a new executive this year and Wally Genz is back with Innisfail minor football as president,” she added.
A new feature for Innisfail Minor Football Association this season will include an online fundraising campaign for Kids Cancer Care Research, which is based in Calgary.
“We're setting up a website (in the next few weeks). Through them anybody in the area can go online and donate. The money goes directly to Kids Cancer Research,” said Caron, noting the colours will be worn on players' helmets this fall. “We're going to go gold in September for kids cancer and pink for breast cancer in October.”
IMFA will be at the Innisfail Fall Registration Night on Sept. 6 for those wishing to sign up for minor football, said Caron.
Home games in the regular season begin Oct. 8.
For more information visit Innisfail Minor Football Association on Facebook or visit their website www.innisfailminorfootball.com
Michelle Caron, club manager
"We started skills and drills about two weeks ago (in early August) and this is our first week of official practice. It's like a summer camp to get players motivated and excited about football again."
