The Sault Minor Football Association (SMFA) provides youth 8-14 the opportunity to play full contact football in an organized league. The SMFA is a developmental league preparing our young athletes for high school and beyond. We are anticipating over 300 players this season and we look forward to seeing you at the field! Are you ready for some football!!?
SMFA president Ryan Lillington has many great stories to prove its positive effect on the community. He told the Sault Star’s Peter Ruicci “The Sault is recognized throughout Ontario as a football power,” said Lillington, SMFA president, who spoke of the numerous successes enjoyed by the city’s high school teams, as well as the Sault Steelers of the Northern Football Conference and the Sault Sabercats of the Ontario Varsity Football League. “And Sault Minor has played a major role. We’re seeing kids who’ve played seven years of football before hitting high school. They’re getting good coaching, they’re much more developed and they understand the game so much more than players did 15 years ago.”
As part of the loop’s 15th anniversary, SMFA will be part of Football Day in Sault Ste. Marie.
Scheduled for July 9 at Rocky DiPietro Field, a skills camp for ages 8 to 14 is planned for the morning and organizers hope to bring in former Canadian Football League (CFL) players to serve as instructors.
At 1 p.m., the Sabercats, fresh from a 7-1 record in 2010, play host to the London Falcons.
At 7 p.m., the Steelers, winners of three of the last four NFC and Canadian Major Football League championships, play host to the Tri-City Outlaws.
In between those games, SMFA Timbits Division (ages 8-10) teams hit the field.
And, Lillington said, the initial inductees into the SMFA hall of fame will be announced at that time.
One of the SMFA alumni Lillington is most proud of is Sault native Jordan Verdone.
The star linebacker at the University of Waterloo was the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rookie of the year in 2008 who transferred to the Calgary Dinos this offseason.
This season, he hopes to see at least 100 players competing in each of three divisions: Timbits, Tyke (ages 11-12) and Bantam (ages 13-14).
This year’s skills camps will run during the second and third weeks of May, with teams beginning practice sessions in the days just following the May 23 Victoria Day holiday.
The regular season concludes with league finals on July 24.
Openings in all three divisions remain.
Registrations will be accepted at www.saultminorfootball.ca or by calling 705- 971-7632.
Registration deadline is May 7.
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