It's clear football is Tylen Smith's life.“I'm very dedicated to football,” the 17-year-old Grade 11 student at Olds High School said. “It's basically what I do. I've went to a lot of camps for it and it's just my passion.”That passion has paid off as, on April 14, Football Alberta named Smith as one of 120 football players in grades 10 and 11 across the province selected for the Team Alberta U-18 selection camp.Having finished his second year playing with the Spartan gridiron squad in the fall, Smith, a running back, is currently playing midget-level football with the Red Deer-based Prairie Fire Football Club this spring.He said he couldn't play during Team Alberta talent camps held during the first two weekends of April due to an injury.But because he was selected for the second round of tryouts last year, the team gave him a spot at this year's final selection camp.“So they just allowed me to go through on injury leave. They knew what I could do from last year.”He added since he is in Grade 11 this year, he has a stronger shot of making the final cut.“Last year there were barely any Grade 10s that made it to the tryouts.”The selection camp will be held from May 9 to 11 at the University of Alberta's Foote Field in Edmonton.Coaches will select 40 finalists for the team who will compete for the Football Canada Cup in July in Saskatoon.Team Alberta has made it to the national championship game in that tournament for the past three years and has finished as runner-up to Quebec each time.Whether or not Smith is selected, he said his ultimate goal after high school is to attend and play football at the University of Alberta where his brother, Quade, was just signed to the school's team.“I hope to follow behind him and make the team next year.”[email protected]
