UNITY – The autumnal sport of football has started to make a presence once again this year with the Unity Minor Football Association. Players and coaches of the flag football and junior tackle programs have been practicing for a couple of weeks and have even attended an early season jamboree.
The flag football program is being run by Kyle Clark for a fourth year, who is also an assistant coach with the junior tackle team and one of the three coaches with the senior Warriors team at Unity Composite High School.
With two age divisions in the flag football program, Clark is excited to see the interest in the sport as players grow. In the two and three-year-old group, seven players joined and 13 players in the four and five-year-old group.
“Kids learn some of the basics of the game and have a chance to develop some passing, catching and defensive skills,” said Clark.
Three jamborees are held this year in Macklin, Unity and Kerrobert, where the games are for fun and gaining experience.
At the junior tackle level, the position of head coach continues to be Daikota Tanner, with assistance from Clark and Graeme Gieni. Gieni is also one of the coaches with the senior Warriors high school team.
The team is made up of 27 kids this season and although the league took a hit with teams dropping out, the junior Warriors are excited to play against Macklin and Plenty.
“We are very fortunate to have so many interested kids,” said Coach Tanner.
With many of the players being new to the tackle division, Tanner says the team has come together great this season.
“Overall, I don’t think our team has any real weaknesses. We have kids that play every position, and it really helps us develop the younger players,” he added.
With the addition of two assistant coaches from the senior program, the team was able to obtain new reversible jerseys with some help from Delta Co-op Petroleum.
“We are fortunate in our junior tackle and senior football programs for the last number of years with a good number of players on our rosters. We hope that kids who are registering for flag football will be able to develop skills that will help them as they move forward with football, and also that playing the game helps them to develop a love for the sport, and keep our numbers healthy in future football programs,” said Clark.
The Jr. Warriors had their home opener on Sept. 17 against the Plenty Jr. Wildcats, who were defeated by the home team 70-36. To date, the Jr. Warriors have gone undefeated this season. The next home game is scheduled for Oct. 1 against Macklin.
