Back in March 2008, Sheila Leach-Dougherty proudly told me “Estevan no longer doesn’t have minor football.” (Or words to that effect).
For those of you who moved to Estevan in the last few years, you might be stunned that Estevan, a city in Canada’s football hotbed province, didn’t have youth football until 2008. No minor football. No high school football. Communities a fraction of our size had youth football, but we didn’t.
So when Leach-Dougherty decided to bring football back to the Energy City for the first time in many years to give her son a chance to play, so many of us cheered.
Of course, it wasn’t just one person who made it all happen. It took a lot of dedicated volunteers to bring football back. The following year, high school football made its return, ensuring that kids could play football from when they’re eight (or less) until they graduate from the Estevan Comprehensive School, if that’s what they want.
That first day for minor football games in Estevan was a blast. The stands at the Woodlawn Athletic Park were packed. There were a couple of age groups with two Estevan teams, so we were treated to a couple of Estevan versus Estevan games. Football was back.
Times haven’t always been easy for minor football since 2008. There have been winless seasons, lopsided losses, unfortunate injuries and heart-breaking losses. The field at the Woodlawn Athletic Park was covered in mud and debris in the spring of 2011 after the Souris River flooded.
But there have been lots of highlights, too, and not just on the field. After the flood of 2011, local football supporter Wanda Harron submitted a bid to have Estevan host a visit from the TSN Kraft Celebration Tour. Estevan succeeded, defeating Swan River, Man., in a vote showdown, and bringing a live SportsCentre visit to Estevan, and some support for youth football.
Still, Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football was looking for its first championship. Until now.
Nobody can deny that the Estevan Coldwell Banker Choice Real Estate Chargers were the kings of the Moose Jaw Minor Football League’s U12 division this year. Yes, they suffered a close loss to the Moose Jaw Lions to start the year, but they won their last seven games of the season, and didn’t allow a point in two postseason games.
The final Saturday was played in Moose Jaw, even though Estevan had the best record in the league during the regular season, but all league finals are played in Moose Jaw.
Fans who drove to Moose Jaw for the game were rewarded. The game wasn’t close. It wasn’t suspenseful. Estevan was the clear-cut better team. Their regular season games against the Moose Jaw Spartans were decided late. This one wasn’t.
Everyone involved with that team earned that championship - the coaches, players, volunteers, sponsors and other supporters. Many of the parents did their part.
My guess is that there were a lot of people on an emotional high on the bus ride back from Moose Jaw.
Hopefully, those kids will continue to love the game and develop their skills, so that Estevan will have strong teams as they rise through the ranks to U15 and eventually high school football. And hopefully there will be more championships to come.
For the teams that have struggled, they need to remember that it wasn’t always easy for the Chargers, either. It takes time to build a program.
While championships are great, we do have to remember they aren’t the only measure of success for youth sports. Finding a love and a passion is important. So is having fun. And so is meeting people and building life-long friendships.
At the end of the season, the question for youth sports athletes shouldn’t be about wins and losses. Nor should it be about championships; after all, only one team can win a title. The questions should be about how they progressed as players, if they made new friendships, if they had fun, and whether they believe the experiences of the campaign will help them when they move up to the next level.
Kids sports are supposed to be fun. If athletes get to the highest levels of the game, that’s where wins and losses can be the biggest point of emphasis.
But winning is still fun and championships are still nice. And hopefully it won’t be too long before it happens again.
