It all came together in the end, but not before giving league president Bryan Boys a few grey hairs in the process.
This time around?
Line ‘em up, throw on the helmets and in the words of a certain pro football franchise, bring ‘em out, bring ‘em out, bring’em out.
The KMJMF kicked off their 2021 season on Saturday afternoon at MacDonald Park, featuring a full slate of games in the Under-10 and U12 divisions and offering players, parents and fans alike a chance to get back to the game they enjoy.
“it’s an exciting time, the kids are back playing sports, everyone is excited, everyone is happy and we’re really looking forward to a great season,” Boys said shortly after the U12 Spartans took a 60-19 win over Weyburn in front of well over 100 fans. “People just want to see kids out having fun, and the kids want to be out playing sports. It’s good to be playing football and doing what we love.”
Registration numbers for KMJMF are up substantially over last season, with 30 additional players signing on. That includes an increase in the U10 six-man program, which is focussed solely on skill development and having fun with weekly Jamborees.
And the good thing is numbers aren’t only higher in Moose Jaw -- interest has increased in all of the league’s communities, including Yorkton, Swift Current, Weyburn and Estevan.
“We’re out here for a reason and you can tell by today and by the numbers of kids in all the centres, this is what they want to be doing,” Boys said. “This is part of their lives and they want to come out and have fun.”
The focus, of course, is as much on pointing youngsters toward the next level through quality skill improvement as it is on wins and losses. Boys credits that ongoing success to the impressive cadre of coaches that continue to pass on their expertise year in and year out.
“We have great coaching staffs in place and the development from top to bottom has been awesome,” he said. “We’re producing kids for high schools that go on to have great seasons, and that’s kind of been our long-term goal, helping the teams feed each other all the way through. It’s been working great, our teams are always in the finals and playing hard, and it’s good football. That’s all we can ask for.”
The KMJMF make-up is identical to last year. The U14 division features six teams in the Moose Jaw Raiders, Moose Jaw Vikings, Estevan Oilers, Swift Current Steelers, Weyburn Falcons and Yorkton Gridders. The U12 league will see the Estevan Chargers, Moose Jaw Lions, Moose Jaw Spartans and Weyburn Ravens, while the U10 division will feature three Moose Jaw crews as well as two each from Estevan and Weyburn.
Regular season play continues until Oct. 10, with the playoffs beginning the following weekend.
For the latest scores and information, be sure to follow www.mjfootball.ca.
