LB Monks well-accomplished leader

Warriors standout is open to all considerations.

Leaders are not born, they are made through hard work and perseverance and the football programs in Calgary have produced a fine young leader in Ben Monks of the Henry Wise Wood Warriors (Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association).

Ben Monks

Positions:
Linebacker (Inside/Outside), Tailback

Height/Weight:
5’8, 190 lbs

Teams:
Henry Wise Wood Warriors (high school: CSHSAA)
Calgary Bulldogs (midget: CAMFA)

Commitment:
None

Official Visits:
None

Consideration:
Open

Class:
2018

Although Monks has only been playing football since 2012, he has distinguished himself as an impactful player. In his first year of peewee (2012) with the Calgary Bulldogs (Calgary Peewee Football Association), he was one of the team’s captains and he was awarded the team MVP. In 2013, he was a starter for the bantam Bulldogs (Calgary Bantam Football Association) and he helped his team win a city and a provincial championship.

The following year, in his last year of bantam, Monks was a team captain and although his team lost the city finals, he was awarded with the MVP award. He was recognized as the best linebacker in Calgary for his age group by the CBFA. He was also given the opportunity to play with the Calgary Selects All-star team and his group won every game in the tournament.

Monks was also a recipient of the Select’s only award, “The Rutherford Award,” which is given out to a player who has been an outstanding leader on and off the field. He also played with Team South Alberta (Alberta Summer Games) and won against Team North Alberta.

In 2015, Monks started for the midget Bulldogs, beating out grade eleven players for a starting position while only being in grade nine at the time. That season, he helped his team win a city championship.

Monks currently plays for the Henry Wise Wood Warriors. In the 2015 season, he was a team captain and he was part of an undefeated season that saw the Warriors win a division one city championship. The team only allowed 28 points. While he is a nominee for the team MVP, the award isn’t given out until this June.

“The highlight of last season was being able to improve with my peers as a whole, leading up to a division one high school city championship,” Monks said.

This year, Monks was a member of Team Alberta U16, which played against Team USA U16 in the International Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

While Monks is unsure as to where his future lies career wise, he knows he wants to graduate high school and finish university.

“Canada has some awesome football programs,” Monks said. “Calgary is my home, but I’m open to any school at this point. A school that interests me will really depend on where my interests take me academically.”

The young player has sent out some emails to schools and will be attending some university camps this summer. He has also taken the time to talk to some close peers that know more about the recruiting process so he can understand everything better.

Through everything Monks has been through, he knows he would not have been as successful without his family and his coaches. “My parents and family have supported me since the beginning and have helped my achieve everything I have aspired to,” he said.

“All coaches I have been associated with have had a huge impact on me,” Monks added. “They have taught me to become a mature, young adult.”

With the guidance he has been given, Monks has been able to become a role model for his younger brother and his brother’s peers in the football community. “I have great appreciation for mutual respect. I believe that respect is not one sided; it goes both ways,” he said.

Currently, Monks training regimen consists of eating a healthy, high protein diet and doing strength and cardio workouts for a minimum of five days a week.

Monks said that, “This season I am going to improve by pushing myself to my max and striving to be the best.”