Kickoff for Kids

Participation in amateur football in Calgary has exploded over the last twenty years. Over 6000 kids participate in some form of amateur football. There is Atom, Pee-Wee, Bantam, Midget, high School, Flag, Junior, University, and Senior Men's leagues. For a city of Calgary's size, the quality of the playing fields is not up to standard. With Calgary's climate and the growth of football participation, the city needs all weather fields.

All weather fields are synthetic grass fields. These fields are safer than real grass, drain better, do not get chewed up, and are cheaper to maintain. Football games would no longer get postponed because of rain, frost, or ice. Calgary over the year loses many games to weather totally messing up the schedule. It is disheartening for kids to prepare all week to have their game cancelled on Saturday. Also in late November they are playing on safe soft surfaces, rather than solid ice.

For a city of over a million people, Calgary has one synthetic turf field, McMahon Stadium. Edmonton will have five, two already existing. Saskatoon has three, Vancouver twenty, Toronto over twenty, and Lethbridge two with a population a quarter Calgary's size. No question Calgary needs to upgrade Shouldice Park and put in three synthetic turf fields.

The Greater Calgary Amateur Football Association was formed encompassing all amateur football in Calgary to undertake this task of field enhancement. To date, The City of Calgary will match dollar for dollar, up to three million dollars, any monies raised corporately. The group is in talks with the province, and hoping they will contribute also. Over a million dollars has been raised corporately at this moment. The project still needs to raise another three million dollars corporately.

We feel this is a great initiative. Football participation is only going to keep growing, especially from the ages of eight to twelve. It is a sport that enables kids of all sizes and athletic ability to play. Most teams carry a roster of forty to fifty players. Please help us make these fields a reality.

 

By Tony Spoletini