Football Niagara Flag Football hits the field

It’s better late than never for the inaugural season of the Niagara Regional Minor Football Association’s new flag football program.

The first season was supposed to run from mid-April until the end of June but the COVID-19 program sacked that idea like it did the schedules of countless other sports.

But with pandemic conditions improving, the NRMFA received approval from the Ontario Football Alliance and Football Canada to begin play.

The association started with three weeks of non-contact skills and drills attended by about 130 kids Tuesdays and Thursdays at Kiwanis Field. Since then, an additional 50 kids signed up for the program and this week, incidental contact was allowed.

Initially, plans were to charge a registration of $150 but that changed.

“We had an overwhelming response and we decided to run it for free,” said Jim Storin, who is is co-convenor of the league along with Vince Angelini. “All they have to do is pay their OFA registration fee.”

The NRMFA St. Catharines director said that $35 fee includes OFA insurance for all the players. Free seemed like the right price in 2020.

“We took into consideration people have been out of work for the better part of the last five months and (The City of) St. Catharines has been generous with the cost of the fields,” Storin said. “They are basically charging us for regular grass instead of turf which makes the costs of the fields insignificant.”

The NRMFA’s motivation for this season’s free program is simple.

“We are doing it for free because we want to give back to the community,” Storin said.

And if the season gets kids interested in coming back next season, even better.

“I am hoping the rules are different next year,” Storin said.

The association is going to loan the players the football jerseys and take them back at the end of the season.

“Next year, when we run flag and charge, they will be able to keep the jerseys. Really, the out-of-pocket expense isn’t something we can’t handle.”

The program will run on thee different days. Saturdays will start at 8:20 a.m. with a combination of tyke and atom. A 20-minute practice will be followed by a game of 40 minutes straight time. All the age divisions will use that same format. The peewees, a mix of older atoms and younger peewees will start at 9:40 a.m.

Bantams will play on Tuesdays but, because there are so many, they have been split into two pods. They will go at 6 p.m. and 7:50 p.m. with four teams in each pod. Because of COVID, they will only play within their pods.

On Thursday, there are two varsity pods that will play at 6 and 7:30 p.m.

The 180 participants range in age from five to 18.

“The kids are absolutely excited,” Storin said. “They are having a blast.”

He is excited for the season.

“There is no competition here and there are no winners or losers. We are giving them eight weeks to be with their buddies and play some football. They can blow off some steam off, enjoy themselves and have fun.”

The original plan was to have age groups made up of tyke (5-7), atom (8-10), peewee (11-12) and bantam (13-14). Storin sees an exciting future for the sport.

“The goals has always been the same,” he said. “I would love to see every city have its own set of teams and they can play in their city and then we come together and do a regional tournament, crown a champion and send the champion off to provincials and to nationals.”

COVID protocols that have been include are: on-line screening; hands are sanitized when participants enter through one entrance and leave at a different exit; only one person in the washroom at a time and hands are sanitized on the way on and out; social distancing in the stands and only 50 fans allowed; each group has a designated end of the field; all equipment used (footballs, cones, ladders) are sanitized by the coach before and after each time slot; each group has its own bag of equipment; all coaches and volunteers are required to wear a mask or face covering; a trainer will be on site for all the sessions and equipped with face mask, shield, and gloves; each player must have his own water bottle and not share it; and, high fives amongst teammates and post-game handshakes are not allowed.