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2004 was another successful year for Football
New Brunswick. 1,706 players, coaches and officials were involved
with 61 teams in 12 different age groupings (programs). This does not include the 700 participants in
high school football who are not members of Football New Brunswick but still
rely on FNB to certify their coaches and train their officials.
The Capital Area Minor Football Association (Fredericton) operates a six team Squirt Flag
Football League for youngsters aged 7-9. The Moncton Football Association has a
Junior Touch Program for kids aged 8 & Under. Capital Area Minor also runs
a six team Mosquito Tackle Football League for 9, 10 and 11 year olds. In 2004
Moncton started an Atom Tackle Football League for players aged 9 and 10.
The NFL/CFL Flag Football program was introduced to six Oromocto area elementary schools
by Capital Area Minor in the spring of 2004.
Capital Area Minor (4 teams), Fundy Minor (Saint John) (6 teams) and Moncton
Football (6 teams) all operate PeeWee Tackle Football Programs for youth
aged 13 & Under. Fundy added the St. Stephen-Calais Silverados in 2004. This
first year team went all the way to the New Brunswick championship before losing
30-8 to the Riverview Lions in the Bob Pierce Memorial Trophy game. The Maritime Championship game
was not played due to bad weather.
Capital Area Minor (3 teams), Fundy Minor (6 teams) and Moncton Football (7
teams) all operate Bantam Tackle Football Programs for youth aged 14 and 15.
Fundy added the Saint John Junior Saints in 2004 and Moncton revived the
Salisbury Bantam Silver Foxes after an absence of a couple of years The
Fredericton Junior Black Kats won the provincial championship and the Samuel
Babb Bowl with a 22-0 victory over the Moncton Junior Highlanders. The Kats
blasted the Timberlea Titans of Nova Scotia 57-0 in the Maritime Bantam Championship game
played in Moncton. With the victory the Junior Black Kats completed a
"perfect" 10-0 season in which they scored 405 points and did not
allow any points at all to be scored by their opponents.
Capital Area Minor and Fundy Minor operated 13 & Under, 15 & Under and
17 & Under Elite teams in the spring of 2004.
Moncton Football Association ran a 15 & Under program. The 15
& Under and 17 & Under teams participated in a tournament
with Nova Scotia. In 13 & Under, Fundy and Capital Area played a
home and home series.
Football New Brunswick's 19 & Under Elite Team ran into problems in its
eleventh season
of existence. It was able to play the Merritt Cup game against Nova Scotia but
was unable to field a team for the Football Canada Cup.
The New Brunswick Senior Football League completed its fourth season of
operation with four teams. Started in 2001 as a June-August
league using idle high school and minor equipment, this program represents a
place for post high school players to continue their playing days and also to
hone skills for university football . Outside of New Brunswick new teams were
formed in Dartmouth and Prince Edward Island to go along with the existing
Halifax team. The Moncton Marshals won the NBSFL championship Percy Burchill
Trophy with an exciting last minute 29-27 victory over the Saint John Wanderers. The
Marshals went on to win
the the Maritime Championship game 30-3 over the Halifax Shockers and thus claim
the McIntyre Cup.
In 2004 something new and historic took place. For the first time ever two Women's
Tackle Football teams took the field. The Simonds Seagals and the Capital
Area Lady Gladiators played a double home and home series plus a demonstration
game in Moncton during the course of the summer. They then met for the New
Brunswick Championship and the Judy Upward Trophy with the Seagals coming out on
top 25-8..
Football New Brunswick provided support to its members programs in a number of
ways. In the area of Awards, championship Banners and gold and silver
Medals were supplied to
PeeWee,
Bantam and Women's. A championship banner was also provided for the NBSFL.
Championship Banners and gold and silver Medals were also supplied,
courtesy of Riddell, for the Maritime PeeWee and Bantam Championship games. Fair Play
banners (sponsored by Valley Graphics) were given to one team in each of PeeWee
(Kennebecasis Valley Raiders), Bantam (Lancaster Junior Vikings) and High School football
(St. Stephen High School Spartans) . Football N.B. also paid for officials for the provincial PeeWee and
Bantam championship games as well as the Maritime Bantam Championship game.
Football New Brunswick purchased the
"Judy Upward Trophy" for the first year New Brunswick Women's
Football League. Total gross
cost of these
items was $4,500. Cost net of donated items was $2,500.
Football New Brunswick Bursaries were awarded to graduating high school football
players Josh Tait of Harrison Trimble High and Colin Matheson of Bernice
MacNaughton High. Total cost to Football New Brunswick is $600 The
bursaries will be paid in the fiscal year 2005-6.
In Caching Development Moncton and Capital Area held Level
1 NCCP clinics. Moncton held a Level 2 clinic. Football New Brunswick paid the
registration costs of coaches attending the Boston Football Coaches Clinic. Each of the three minor football associations received a
direct contribution to help offset the cost of hosting clinics. Football N.B.
contributed a net of $3,000 to Coaching Development in 2004.
New Brunswick's football officials held Level 1 clinics in
Capital Area, Moncton and Saint John. Level 2
and 3 clinics were held in Moncton in June. Football New Brunswick contributed $900 towards
Officials Development in 2004.
Football New Brunswick spent close to $14,000 on liability and accident Insurance for its
members in 2004 as well as remitting $4,800 in dues to Football Canada and
Sport New Brunswick.
No organization can operate without its volunteers. Some sort of recognition of
their efforts is key to its long term success. Football New Brunswick held its Annual
Awards banquet in April 2004 in Fredericton. Lifetime Service Awards were given to Larry
Timms of Saint John, Paul Beardsworth of Riverview and Mike Young of Fredericton.
Derrick Brien of Saint John was chosen as PeeWee Volunteer of the
Year. Jeff and Kelly Murdock of Oromocto were selected as Bantam Volunteer of the
Year. Les Ryder of Moncton received the Gridiron Award for Outstanding Service to
Football. Net cost of this event was $2,200.
Football N.B. spent $200 on it's 6th Annual Pass, Punt and Kick Competition
at Mount Allison
University in Sackville. Moncton area football "godfather" Ed
Skiffington was inducted into the New Brunswick Sports Hall of
Fame.
Football New Brunswick spent $800 to sponsor a table in his honour at the
banquet.
Football New Brunswick executive member, Pat Parent, has been designated as the
contact for those seeking information about football in French.
For 2005 a number of
initiatives are underway to increase participation levels. Moncton Football has plans
for a Bantam team at the new French high school that will open in Moncton
in the
fall of 2005. Capital Area Minor is attempting to start Bantam team(s) in
Miramichi and/or Woodstock. Capital Area is also planning to add a PeeWee
team affiliated with Devon Middle School in Fredericton. Football New
Brunswick has allocated $5,000 to assist with expansion of the game into areas
of the province where it is presently not played.
It is expected that the New Brunswick Women's
Football League will expand to four teams in 2005. Organized groups are
working hard to start a team in Moncton and a second team in Saint John. There
is also the possibility of a team in Halifax.
The New Brunswick Senior Football League has changed its name to
the
New Brunswick Football Conference and has combined with the teams in
Nova Scotia and P.E.I. to form the
Maritime Football League. The Moncton Mustangs have been accepted as the
NBFC's fifth franchise. There is also the possibility of a third team in Saint
John.
The NFL/CFL Flag Football program was introduced to six Oromocto area elementary schools
by Capital Area Minor in the spring of 2004. Other areas are expected to
follow suit in 2005.
There is an initiative in Moncton to start Junior football in 2005.
Football New Brunswick will continue to be involved in improving the Coaches and
Officials in the province. Moncton is expected to hold NCCP Level 1
and 2 coaching clinics in the spring of 2005. Capital Area is planning for an NCCP Level 1
coaching clinic in May. Some of our coaches will also be attending the Boston
Football Coaches Clinic. At present there is only one certified coaching course
conductor for the entire province. Football New Brunswick has allocated $1,000
to assist in having a certified Level 1 coaching course conductor trained in
each of Moncton, Fundy and Capital Area.
There will be Level 1 Tackle Football Officials Clinics in Moncton, Fredericton
and Saint John before the 2005 season. The New Brunswick Football Officials
Association will be holding Level 2, 3 and 4 upgrade clinics in June 2005 in
Moncton.
Finally, Football New Brunswick is in the process of developing a number of policies.
An
"Abuse and Harassment Policy" and a "Volunteer Screening
Policy" have been developed and will be submitted for approval by the
membership at the 2005 Annual General Meeting". For 2006 committees will be
formed to develop policies on "Conflict of Interest", "Discipline
and Appeals", "Personal Information Protection"
and "Code of Conduct".
Dan Fearon, President
Football New Brunswick
March 27, 2005
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