Decision time for defending champs

118 of the top players converged on Latendre College at Laval University this past weekend to make a final case for themselves in the hopes of securing a spot on Team Quebec’s under-18 roster which will travel to defend their gold medal at the 2013 Football Canada Cup in Moncton, New Brunswick.

Overall, Team Quebec head coach Brad Collinson was impressed by the level of talent, skill and competition he saw throughout the weekend at the selections camp.

“The weekend went very well,” reflected Collinson.  “We feel that the kids grasped what we were installing both on offence and defence.”

“We had a lot of competition at all positions which made it difficult when choosing the team. It was a good problem to have.”

From the selections camp, two things stood out, yet surprised the provincial coaching staff.

“The competition at quarterback was very fun to watch,” commented Collinson.  “Also, the defensive line looked good.”

“We were spoiled the last couple of years with Mathieu Betts at defensive end so replacing him will be really hard but we feel overall our defensive line will be strong once again.”

Now that the camp is over, the hard task for Collinson and the rest of Team Quebec’s coaching staff begins as they have to deliberate and ultimately decide who will earn a spot on the final roster. However, there is a checklist the coaching staff will use to guide them in their decision making process.

“We will be looking to pick the best possible kids,” explains Collinson.  “With that being said, we look at a few things:  how well does the player comprehend? How does he react to coaching? And lastly how is he as a teammate?”

“The last thing is hard to see in a weekend but we base it on how he conducts himself during the weekend around the other players. Team chemistry is key in a tournament like this so we want team players.”

Currently, Team Quebec’s coaching staff is reviewing and evaluating film.  The final roster spots will be determined and revealed on Thursday June 6^th, 2013.

If this past weekend was any indication, Team Quebec will look strong in their quest to repeat as champions at the Football Canada Cup tournament next month.

“We were very pleased with the effort the kids put forth last weekend and feel that we will have a competitive team once again this year,” said Collinson.  “We as a staff are looking forward to the next phase to have the final team together and get to work preparing for the tournament.”

Photos courtesy of Football Quebec Website

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