By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – Football, wrestling and karate may be three distinctly different sports, but local youth between the ages of 8 and 17 will have the opportunity to try their hand at each during a three-day Multi Sport Camp set for July 29 to 31.
The Town of Morinville’s Community Services Department are hosting the camp at the Morinville Community High School grounds and at Rooke School of Karate in Morinville. The program runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
Day one will draw on the skills of former football player and current coach Ryan Brown to teach some basic football skills in a safe, non-contact environment. “He’s very passionate about the game, so he’s going to do the camp,” said Morinville’s Operations and Program Coordinator Tyler Edworthy, adding the opening day would serve as a preview of a football camp the Town is planning for late August.
University of Alberta wrestling coach Nick Green will take the reins July 30, demonstrating the strength, agility and athleticism of wrestling. “He’s competed internationally for years,” Edworthy said. “He still competes, and is involved in mixed martial arts as well.”
The final day will focus on the local talents of Sensei Steve Rooke, who will offer his knowledge of karate. “He’s going to demonstrate some of the katas that they do and demonstrate the discipline that it takes to do karate,” Edworthy explained.
Part of a broader sports agenda
Edworthy said the trio of sports is just a beginning. Other workshops will be held as he can locate more experts in different sport disciplines. “Hopefully in the future we’ll bring in things like sledge hockey and let people try them,” he said, adding the Town of Morinville is already working on a recreational broom ball program for youth and for adults that will run 10 weeks in the fall and probably another 10 weeks in the winter.
The efforts to add to Morinville’s traditional sports offerings are part of the Town’s broader outlook on sports in the community. “It’s all on the sport development model, the Sport for Life, the long-term athlete,” Edworthy said. “We want to make sure the athletes in Morinville have an opportunity to try different sports – they’re not stuck just playing one sport their whole life. It’s developing the complete athlete and making sure they have those fundamental developments down. This is a real footstep into the Sports for Life model. This is giving the kids all the skills they need for any sport that they want, and that’s why it’s important they get the chance to try all of these sports.”
Football Camp to follow
Edworthy said the Morinville First Down Football Camp, running Aug. 26 to 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Morinville Community High School field, will follow the Multi Sport Camp. The program will also be open to youth aged 8 to 17.
The four-day camp will unite the talents of Chuck Pelc, former U of A Golden Bear, and Ryan Brown, the facilitator of day one of the July Multi Sport Camp.
“They’ll run all the same drills that they do for Canadian Football League. They are going to develop it around Canadian rules football,” Edworthy said. “They’ll do some catching, running, tackling drills – without tackling each other. They’ll be doing a lot of foot drills to make sure their footwork is good. We’ll make sure that they [participants] understand the game and the positions.”
Edworthy said he hopes there is sufficient interest in football in the community to form a local team.
Cost of the Multi Sport Camp is $40 per participant for the three-day program. Cost of the four-day football program is $50 per person. For more information contact Tyler Edworthy at 780-939-7834 or by email at tedworthy@morinville.ca.
