Toronto Argonauts players to guest coach at first-ever Warhawks spring camp

KITCHENER — Toronto Argonauts offensive tackle Chris Van Zeyl and wide receiver Mike Bradwell will act as guest coaches at Twin Cities Minor Tackle Football Association’s first-ever Warhawks Spring Training Camp.

Van Zeyl and Bradwell will take to the field with more than 100 local Warhawks football players aged 7-12 on April 25, teaching skills such as blocking, tackling and other fundamentals needed to move the football down the field, explained Lee Deline, director of football operations for TCMTFA’s Warhawks division.

“Chris and Mike will also take time to share their experiences as university and professional athletes and to talk about how the game of football has helped shape their lives,” said Deline. “Making a difference in a young athlete’s life is a primary goal for our association, and we’re proud to be joined in that worthwhile effort by the Argos organization.”
The Warhawks Spring Skills Camp is an 8-week program during which new and returning players will learn the various positions on a football team and understand how those positions work together in a game.

“New players to the game will learn the fundamentals while returning Warhawks can not only be challenged in areas specific to their needs, but also mentor newcomers and overall become more well-rounded students of the game,” Deline said, adding that safety and proper technique is at the core of all instruction.

Warhawks Spring Skills Camp is being held at Woodside Fields, at the corner of Highland Road and Queens Boulevard in Kitchener, on Mondays and Wednesdays from April 18-June 18. Camp now is closed to new registrants; however, parents and prospective players for the fall Warhawks season are welcome as spectators on any camp night from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

TCMTFA runs its Warhawks division as a house league program, with up to 12 teams in four age divisions, competing in the Southern Ontario Football Association of Leagues (SOFAL) from late August through November. Practices for the Warhawks teams begin in early July.

TCMTFA also offers a rep level program for ages 11-19 and a national level Canadian Junior Football League (CJFL) program for players aged 17-22.