Youth football training gets another outlet

TODD PRUNER

Prince Albert football players now have another chance to learn the basics before they play in high school.

The Prince Albert Six-A-Side League is starting this year. Registration is now open online at www.pasixaside.ca and runs until April 22. Those wanting to register in person can do so at the Crescent Heights Arena on April 21 and 22 from 5:30-7 p.m.

There are expected to be four to six teams with 15 to 20 kids on each team.

It costs $150 to register, which includes a practice jersey, a T-shirt, a belt and socks. The equipment will be provided by the Prince Albert Minor Football Association.

It's a tackle football league with the rules almost identical to the 12-man game. The league is for those currently in grades 7 and 8 in Prince Albert and the surrounding communities.

"Any kids from St. Louis, Shelbrook, Birch Hills and anywhere else where they'd be willing to drive in and play, we'd love to have them," said Graham McGregor, league co-commissioner and head coach of the six-man team at Prince Albert Collegiate Institute. "And we're fairly sure that Meath Park is actually going to have their own team in the league."

Troy Semenchuk and Rylan Michalchuk of Carlton Comprehensive High School will also act as co-commissioners with the new league.

McGregor said the league will provide another way for local players to develop their skills, in addition to relatively new initiatives such as the peewee and bantam River Riders as well as the "Train Hard" camps the River Riders coaches run on Sundays at Carlton.

"It's only going to help the high school teams and give those kids a really incredible experience to get out to there and try something different," he said.

While the rules of the game remain the same, the structure will be different. Teams will play a controlled scrimmage type of game - a shootout format where teams start at their opponents' 35-yard line - similar to overtime in the Canadian Football League.

And because the focus is on player development, the teams will be using a shared playbook, so the focus won't be on having a better strategy than the other team.

The six-a-side initiative began with Outlook product Brian Guebert writing his master's thesis at the University of Saskatchewan on football development. He's now playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and through his contacts in the CFL has set up similar six-a-side leagues in Saskatoon, Regina and several other Canadian cities. In addition, the CFL will provide the teams with jerseys.

Teams will likely practice three times per week, Monday to Wednesday, and play on Thursdays. Games will begin May 21 and end June 25.