A couple of weeks ago this writer was meeting people on a Sunday at McCulley-Robertson Sports Complex and happened to stumble upon a youth flag football league.
There were teams in different colours that mimicked their National Football League counterparts such as the Vikings, Dolphins, Ravens, and more.
This new league literally kicked off this spring, and through mostly word of mouth and social media, 42 kids joined the inaugural eight-week spring season. The fall season, which lasts eight weeks, will take place in September and October.
Commissioner Kathy Duchesne started the Huntsville league because her son loves football. She found the UA Flag Football program online and eventually decided to bring it closer to home.
“I Googled flag football, and the closest one was Barrie,” she recalls. “Then I saw a place where it said start your own league, and then we started. My neighbours Charlie and Kelly helped a lot to get it started.”
Starting with the same numbers as the Barrie flag football league started with, the plan is to continue to grow it each season, as well as year over year.
Duchesne says they are also looking to find more referees to take the training and join the league. Referees are paid to officiate the games.
Walking around the fields, one can see the parents are happy, the players are happy, and a solid foundation exists for the league to grow. In addition to gameplay, coaches can conduct skill games with their teams each Sunday.
“It’s a lot of fun,” says Duchesne. “We have music playing and it’s a new sport, so everyone’s excited to try something new and everyone loves football.”
Those looking to find out more can check out https://uariseflag.ca/find-a-league/huntsville/. Duchesne says more information about the fall league, referee recruitment, and other happenings will be available there.
As well, in the future, Huntsville teams will be able to compete in provincial tournaments and potentially national events. The best part is that there are a mix of skill levels and beginners are most definitely welcome, she says.
“There’s actually a lot of kids here that have never played flag football because it’s new to Huntsville and we’re teaching them how to play,” says Duchesne.
Judging by some of the plays on the field, they’re doing a good job with that.
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