Football season isn’t as far away as it seems.
The Edwin Parr Composite Pacers may not be slated to play any ‘real’ games until September, but the players won’t be waiting that long to get back in action.
The 2011 season officially begins next week, when players will gather at the school for their equipment fittings. Equipment will be handed out on Tuesday, April 26 and Wednesday, April 27, after school until 6 p.m. on both days. Head coach Pete Burden hopes to have the team’s roster set by then, but he won’t close the door on anyone who decides they want to play football later in the spring, or even this fall.
“I’m hoping we’ll be in the 25-30 (player range),” said Burden.
Of course, if more than 30 players show up asking for helmets, the coach will be ecstatic, but that hasn’t been the case thus far in the program’s existence. But with continued exposure and hard work from the coaches and the players as well as the participation of the EPC community, that could change.
There are preliminary plans for a school pep rally in support of the football team on April 29. If that kind of school spirit is present when the Pacers finally take to the field in game action this fall, it will surely benefit them.
Though fan support is nice, the real focus for the Pacers — once they all have their equipment — will be practice. The spring sessions, which could take place on the school field if conditions allow, are an ideal time for Burden and his fellow coaches to delve into the details they won’t have time for in the fall when game preparation is the focus.
“Spring is our teaching time,” said the coach, who will even spend some time in the classroom with his players giving them pointers on the game’s finer points. By the end of the spring camp, players should have an in-depth knowledge of the team’s playbook.
“All that classroom stuff, it’s invaluable, so we’re not wasting time in practice on it. We can go right to the drills,” he said.
Those who look at football as a game that is a physical test only are sorely mistaken, according to the coach.
“It usually takes players a year to understand the game.”
But the coach also needs to understand his players. The first workouts of the spring will give Burden and his staff an idea of what they’re working with. Returning players will already know what their roles are, but newcomers will need to find out where they fit in on a football field.
Players will be put through physical tests like sprints, standing jumps and bench presses, and the team will make as much use of the field as they can to work on the basics. They’ll be able to implement what they’ve learned on May 14 when they host Fort Saskatchewan for an exhibition game.
Registration for the upcoming football season will be held in the cafeteria at EPC on May 4 at 6:15 p.m. Parents can also meet with the coaches on this night to discuss the program. The cost for the spring program is $100. Playing in the fall costs $150.
This spring’s practices are open to students in Grades 8-11. In the fall, Grade 7 students can practice with the team.
