Could winter sports follow the football model and provide equipment to athletes? – OttawaSportsPages.ca

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By Dan Plouffe

The fall sports season is nearing its peak and it won’t be long before winter sports take over.

But before the skates and skis reach the ice and snow, comes National Capital Amateur Football Association Championship Weekend – and with it, winter sports’ opportunity to take a look at a sport that has long embraced diversity and inclusion.

A major hurdle to participating in winter sports and many other sports is the specialized – and expensive – equipment required to participate. Football is no different, but players do not have to buy their equipment, it is provided by their teams. Why this?

“It’s just about making that accessibility available to anyone who needs it,” says South Ottawa Mustangs U14 football coach Dan Cooper, who also serves as the organization’s vice president of flag football.

“I’m pretty sure Hockey would do the same if they stumbled upon the problem set, but they haven’t,” he adds. “Some sports in Ottawa don’t need to recruit players from neighborhood corners, whereas in our sport, and our club in particular, it’s mostly neighborhood corners that fill the team.”

The Mustangs U16 Bantam team is one of the many teams set to compete in the NCAFA championship games this weekend at the Nepean Sportsplex. The B Cup final takes place on Saturday at 2pm against the North Gloucester Giants.

After final touchdowns are scored and trophies are awarded, players return the equipment they used this year to the clubs that own it. Equipment and insurance are included in players’ registration fees, which tend to be significantly lower than other sports with comparable requirements.

“Our club has the lowest fees in the league,” signals Alisha Brennan, Mustangs vice president of football operations, noting that this is a product of the many low-income neighborhoods her organization serves around Walkley and Smyth streets. “It is difficult for us to ask for more. I mean, a lot of parents can’t afford to pay the $375 to begin with.”

Most years, maintenance and purchasing new equipment consumes about a quarter of the club’s budget. This year’s spending for South Ottawa was higher than usual as it invested in new team training equipment and uniforms featuring the Mustangs’ new logo (necessary because the NFL sent legal letters to all teams in North America instructing them to stop using it their brands such as the Denver Broncos logo that the Mustangs previously had).

NCAFA clubs in wealthier areas often charge higher registration fees, and some help the Mustangs, who were unable to field U12 or U10 teams this season due to insufficient player numbers.

When the Mustangs were short on a pair of player pants this season, a nearby club loaned them some, and other clubs also donated used shoulder pads.

At the beginning of the year, players sign a waiver stating that their equipment must be returned at the end.

“I don’t think we would actually pursue them if we had to. It’s an attempt to make them feel guilty, so they give it back,” Cooper said, noting that equipment theft is very unusual, although it can sometimes happen that a family suddenly moves out of town and the equipment is in the house hustle and bustle is lost.

“We probably break more equipment than we lose,” he adds. “It’s like everything. Restaurants have an expected loss rate. I expect one set of equipment will go missing every year, so plan for that.”

In general, players of certain age groups require similar sized equipment each year, although “you don’t know how big these kids are before they show up, so there has to be a little variety,” Cooper explains.

Equipping a player can be a five-minute process “if you’re lucky,” but for some others it can take 45 minutes to get right.

“There’s a lot of tweaking because it’s important that it fits well – that protects them,” Cooper emphasizes, noting that all coaches nationwide are trained in concussion-related protocols.

Helmets require the most attention. A new football helmet can cost between $300 and $500, while the rest of the equipment costs about the same amount.

Football helmets can last up to 10 years. Every two years, the helmets must be sent to the Riddell manufacturer in Texas for overhaul, which costs about $200 per helmet.

“They disassemble it, inspect every part, every component, repaint it, put it all back together and certify it,” explains Brennan, one of the volunteers involved in organizing the equipment distribution.

The Mustangs hold a few matching days early in the season. The players walk in pairs into the club’s small cage room at the Canterbury Community Centre, with some South Ottawa representatives handling equipment and others handling paperwork. The Mustangs store 125 sets of equipment in an area of ​​approximately 200 square meters.

“New players will be able to see them light up when they receive their gear for the first time,” signals Cooper. “It’s like a warrior putting on his armor. They say, ‘Wow, look how big I am, mom or dad’ or whoever is with them.”

A significant number of Mustangs are only available thanks to funding from Canadian Tire Corp.’s Jumpstart program. play. Some other families were ineligible this year because their wages rose above the limit, even though their living expenses exceeded that increase and they still couldn’t pay. So other players’ families and community members stepped in to pay for their registrations.

“We’ll worry about the money later,” Cooper emphasizes. “I mean, we need it to keep things going, but we need to get the kids involved. If they really want it and their parents really can’t afford it, we will make it happen.”

The spirit of helping is strong in football, with many former players who have benefited from the sport stepping up to give something back.

“We have kids who ride the bus, walk or carpool with other families. Coaches pick up players for every training session and game and drive them home, even if it’s in Cornwall,” smiles Brennan. “Anything to get the kids out.”

She hopes players learn valuable life lessons through playing.

“I mean, soccer is the ultimate team sport, right?” Brennan explains. “There is no position on the field that does not rely on every other player doing their job. So it’s about learning that responsibility.”

Cooper says football can provide friends, a bit of an extended family, perhaps a place to stay out of trouble and for some it could be an escape from their difficult past.

“You’ve seen the Hollywood stories,” he emphasizes. “We have examples in the NFL who have come through the program from the worst neighborhoods in Ottawa.”

Cooper notes that the Mustangs are always looking for sponsors and people willing to help “make all this magic happen.”

“Look, training ended half an hour ago and these guys are all still here having fun,” Cooper says on the sidelines at Kaladar Park. “It’s a sign that they’re doing this because they love it.

“And when you look at the diversity in this picture, it’s amazing. She doesn’t care about any of that. They just have fun together.”

This article is part of the Ottawa Sports Pages’ Inclusion in Sport series. Read more about local sports inclusion initiatives at: OttawaSportsPages.ca/Ottawa-Sports-Pages-Inclusion-In-Sport-Series/.

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