Bonnyville Bandits players new and old hit the field over the weekend to show off their skills and see how they stack up against the rest of the league.
On Saturday, June 2, the Bandits hosted a jamboree at Walsh Field, inviting teams from as far away as Fort McMurray.
“The jamboree is really a teaching time of the year. We get a lot of kids that have never played football before and are green as grass. The coaches are on the field, we have jamboree rules – there’s no real whistles, no time constraints, but under pressure you get to see how they react,” explained head coach Mickey Fagnan. “I think we showed, really well today, the depth of our team and our resilience. It’s pretty exciting.”
For the spring season, the Bandits had 15 players brand new to the game of football, and about 22 returning players from last year’s bantam and peewee teams. The event gave coaches a chance to see how they compare and areas that could use improvement.
“You’re trying to bring in kids that have never played before and attract them to what you do and why you do it. Philosophically, our coaches are all on the same page. We’re here to really influence young men and women. It’s a really fun atmosphere but we work really hard,” said Fagnan.
With four teams on the field at once, two to a half, all players got a chance to test their skills and get some coaching in a game setting.
“I think it went really well, all of the teams had a lot of fun,” said returning player Duncan Critch. “Our team did pretty well, we executed pretty well. There were a few plays where the snap got messed up, but just the regular things that come with spring league and new players. We got everyone in our team on for at least a series, and the rookies got a taste for what it’s like.”
In an effort to rejuvenate the spring jamborees, the Bandits added a new twist. Drawing inspiration from American Ninja Warrior, two players from each team were partnered up to go head-to-head through an obstacle course.
“We’ve had jamborees every year and they’ve dwindled to nothing. We’ve never had one in Bonnyville, they’ve always been out of town, and they’ve got down to two teams with no interest. I wanted to revitalize that,” Fagnan said, adding the coaching staff wanted to try something that’s never been done before and left players remembering a positive experience.
“I’ve already had a team say they were going to hold this next year on their field. It’ll do wonders for the association and potential players coming up the ladder.”
