Spring football season is just days away in Prince Albert. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Outdoor Football Begins

Minor football soon to kick off outdoor season

Apr 25, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The last of the late-winter and early-spring snow hung on as long as it could in Prince Albert, but try as it might it could not hold back football season.

Beginning this weekend, sessions are starting up for some of the youngest kids involved in local football, and more age groups will be getting started soon. It’s brought about a lot of excitement for not only the kids, but for the coaches and administrators too.

“Every time the snow starts melting, I can’t wait to get back on the field and get back into football,” said Prince Albert Minor Football President Taras Kachkowski. “I really love coaching, love the game, love working with the kids. It’s definitely something I look forward to once the snow starts melting.”

The outdoor spring season, one of five programs Minor Football offers, is starting up this coming weekend and indoor flag football has been going on since March. The little tykes program, for grades one to four, is among the first to start up.

“It’s one of our most popular programs, it fills up quite quickly,” said Kachkowski. “But I believe there are still three spots remaining in the one group. Then we also have our peewee and bantam six-a-side programs. We like to say it’s half the players but twice the fun.”

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Under six-a-side, any player is eligible to receive the ball except the offensive centre, who is the one snapping the ball to begin with. In other words, it means kids get a lot more of a wide-open field and have more opportunity to develop catching and throwing skills.

In the meantime, the nervous weather watching has gotten a lot less nervous as the snow has melted away. Kachkowski can recall times where it’s been beautiful on registration day and then blizzard-like on opening day, but that doesn’t seem to be in the cards this season.

“I’m just glad the weather is finally cooperating for our outdoor season here,” Kachkowski said. “It was looking like it was going to be a pretty snowy start to our season, but everything is melting off nicely so we should be good to go here once we get through our equipment handouts.”

Kachkowski added parents are often surprised by how affordable the sport is at younger ages, especially because of how much equipment they’re able to hand out and provide themselves.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP