The Northern Raiders Midget football team won’t play a game for nearly two months, but the squad has already began preparations for its upcoming season.
The Raiders held a two-day skills camp at Genesis Place, Jan. 26-27, featuring guest coach Matthew Blokker from the Canadian Junior Football League’s (CJFL) Vancouver Island Raiders, as well as several former Airdrie Midget players.
“We were looking to get the rust off and get them all back in shape,” said head coach Steve Kemp. “We’re looking to set the bar high with good intensity and for them to sharpen up the skills and get ready to go.”
Joining Blokker as guest coaches were former Raiders Matt Ready, now coaching for Team Manitoba, as well as Clayton Vis and Neil Vogel, who are now both assistant coaches for the VI Raiders.
Blokker, who is second all-time in wins for coaches in the CJFL, said he was more than happy to accept Kemp’s invitation to help with the camp.
“It’s awesome to see the great job these guys are doing and to see how many kids they have out playing,” said Blokker, who used to coach Kemp.
“Every year I come out here, it seems as if it’s getting better and better. Hopefully there are some future Vancouver Island Raider players out here too.”
The Northern Raiders won the Calgary Midget Football League’s Division 2 Championship in May 2011. The team only graduated three players on offence, so Kemp believes his squad will be a factor again this season.
“We’re looking pretty good on offence; defence we lost a few more, but some of the young guys have paid their dues and are ready to go,” he said. “Everybody is hungry for the season to start. We want to start where we finished from last year. We finished on a high note and we want to keep that momentum going.”
Blokker said Kemp’s transition from player to coach has been a natural fit and that he expects the team to keep improving with its current staff and talent levels.
“In 2003-04, during his first season out there, I think it took him four months before he opened his mouth and said a word as a rookie. But he’s done a great job. Everything he learned as a player – you can tell he has coaching in him. He just loves the game and he loves to teach it. I’m proud of him and what he’s doing,” he said.
“Before you’d come out and there might be one or two players that you’d see; now, you’re coming out and there are 12, 15, 20 guys that all have potential to play at the next level. A lot of that comes from coaching and consistency. Kemp is working them pretty hard and they haven’t had much of a break during these two days.”
Kemp said the importance of the early camp, which featured about 45 players, would be instrumental for the team’s preparations this season.
“With our season starting so early, any little bit of work we can get in, anytime we can get an indoor facility like this, gives us an advantage over the Calgary teams,” he said.
“This goes a long way and the stuff they learn here in the two full-day camps, they remember all year. We’re going to focus a lot on our conditioning and getting faster. We want to gel on our offence and defence and be ready.”
The Northern Raiders’ first game of the CMFL season will be on March 29.
