The junior Bluevale Knights of the Waterloo County Secondary School Athletic Association (WCSSAA) have a certain philosophy, in terms of the way they conduct themselves, and never deviate from it.
āWe never cut anyone who shows up,ā said junior Knights Head Coach James Hitchen. āIn fact, if we run out of equipment we’ll cut players from the senior program.ā
āWe also make a commitment to the kids. Every one of our junior football players will see action in league games, as well as playing in a grade nine game each season in which we only play our grade nines.ā
The same philosophy exists in their offensive play calling.
āWe allow several kids to carry the ball and commit to throwing the ball more, so that the receivers are provided the opportunity to develop,ā commented Hitchen.
They have always had tight-knit groups of players.
āOur numbers have always been strong: 63 kids this year,ā added Hitchen. āI believe that itās becauseĀ we focus on the student experience.ā
āOur kids go to Laurier games together, we have a team meal each year. It also has a lot to do with the work being done behind the scenes. Our feeder schools do a great job of identifying kids that we should be talking to about football. This list includes athletic kids and kids that need a safe place to be after school. Each one of these students is connected with one of our coaches inviting them out.ā
Football is a vital part of Bluevale as a whole.
āThe entire staff at BCI does an outstanding job of supporting our program,ā stated Hitchen. āWhen our guidance team enrols a new student, they do a great job of helping them connect with a variety of programs in our school. Often that includes connecting them with us and the junior football program.ā
Advocating for football prospects one story at a time.
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