Flag football clinic teaches skills and working together
By Lethbridge Herald on July 4, 2024.
Herald Photo by Justin Seward
Nixon Ginther battles for the football with Casui Wytdewilligan during the flag football scrimmage and clinic at the Southern Alberta Summer Games in Coaldale on Thursday.By Justin Seward
Lethbridge Herald
The Coaldale Spartans flag football program held a clinic and scrimmage during the Southern Alberta Summer Games in Coaldale on Thursday.
Terry Allen, clinic and scrimmage event organizer, was approached in January about playing flag football in the new recreation centre and was an opportunity he could not pass up.
“I didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to get a bunch of kids together and play flag football in this new facility and the kids really enjoyed it today,” said Allen.
Allen’s focus on the clinic side was to teach skills including how to throw and catch a football properly, running patterns and strategizing for offence and defence.
“Team sports is an excellent way for kids to learn to work together as a group towards a common goal and set your ego aside and do what’s best for the team,” said Allen.
Skills in flag football for the quarterback include reading the defences, getting the ball down field and leading the receivers.
Receivers have to watch the ball all the way to their hands and working it down the field.
Defensively, the players have to know how to pull a flag, play in a pass coverage and in pass rushing.
Allen thought the event was excellent for exposure.
“I’d like to get a kids and an adult flag football league going at the rec centre here in the future if I can ,” said Allen.
“But it’s a matter of getting the word out, getting the field time booked and getting it organized, which is a challenge we have to work towards.”
Nixon Ginther thought of team work as being the most important part of flag football.
“Being able to tell people how to work and do their part in the thing and run their route,” said Ginther.
Dominic Di-Loreto is in his first year of playing football and learned the basics of throwing and being a team player.
“It was really fun just come out here, hang out with my friends (and) play some football,” said Di-Loreto.
“It’s nice that we got (to) do it in the new rec centre too and yeah it was just really fun just to come out and get active.”
In flag football, Di-Loreto said it’s harder to get people down but overall it’s calmer, less competitive and just going with the flow.
Registration for the Spartans tackle football is open at http://www.lethbridgeminorfootball.org.
Allen hosts flag football practices once a week at Kate Andrews High School to recruit players for tackle football.
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