Dynamic World of Football – Locker room experience

This only being my second off season in the CFL, it has been an interesting learning experience. The off season in the CFL is comparable to a coaching change at the CIS/NCAA level. A lot of change has gone on throughout the CFL with regards to Head coaching changes in Winnipeg and Toronto in the, completely changing the dynamic of that entire club. A special teams coaching change in Montreal as well as Saskatchewan’s front office/coaching musical chairs. Witnessing two of my good friends whom I hoisted the Grey Cup with, Davis Sanchez and Keron Williams, rocking the Orange and Black uniforms in BC for the 2010 season exemplifies the dynamic nature of the CFL. As a young player in the CFL it is interesting seeing the different actions taken by each individual club in the off season.
The switch Simon Fraser University made from CIS to Division 2 in the US left a lot of fifth years in a bind trying to find jobs elsewhere in the CIS. As it may be exciting to find another football program in the CIS, I feel the cost’s outweigh the benefits. A player from SFU will now have to figure out how to transfer his schooling as well attempting the task of joining a team that has a cohesive bond built from the first days of training camp in their first year. A switch in the CFL may not be as difficult as a CIS coaching/league change but it still poses similar obstacles, although they may be on differing levels. Davis and Keron, along with a player’s from SFU all have the task showing up at their respective camps and “turning heads.” I have had the opportunity to help out at University of British Columbia (UBC), a team also experiencing a head coaching change in the off season. The veteran players on the team now have to impress an entirely new staff of coaches as I have to impress a new Special Teams coach in Montreal. Explaining these strenuous situations throughout the different levels of football in Canada is to exemplify dynamic nature of football. “Everyone loves football, and football loves no one.” The way I live is… just work your tail off and let the cards fall as they may. You are destined for success if you prepare for whatever gets thrown at you. The CFL season is quickly approaching and there is another batch of highly tuned Canadian athlete’s in this year’s edition of the CFL DRAFT. It seems there is a deep pool of Canadian talent joining the CFL this year which is great for the league. I cannot wait to see how the draft plays out and what these guys can do at the next level. I would call them young guys but half of them are older than me. Whether it be from High School to University or University to the Pro’s, working hard and building a foundation of fundamentals is an essential part of making the jump to the “NXT LVL.” There will always be be a new hurdle to attack.