Registrations filled up in about ten days for atom and peewee spring sessions with Football Nanaimo. The season starts with skills and drills only on March 22. (Football Nanaimo)

By Dan Marshall

Football Fundamentals

Registrations filled quickly for Football Nanaimo spring sessions

Mar 5, 2021 | 10:02 AM

NANAIMO — Football Nanaimo is ready to get back on the field.

Interest in the program for eight to 14 year olds was heavy at all levels from atom to peewee and junior bantam.

Registration opened on Feb. 9 and Football Nanaimo president Dan Fraser said there was enough interest to fill up atom and peewee within a week.

“Normally it takes about a month or a month and a half to even get close to those numbers. But kids want to be out there and parents want their kids to be out there being active.”

Fraser stressed the program allows for 40 players at a time with no-contact skills and drills as part of phase two restrictions.

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It is possible health regulations could allow for in-house tackle contact by the last half of the season. There were several weeks of six on six tackle played last fall.

The field at May Bennett Pioneer Park will be home to all sessions.

A facility there will allow all the necessary equipment to be provided to players.

Even though the field is maintained by the city, Football Nanaimo gets the first right of refusal for practices and games.

The teams under the Football Nanaimo banner were known as the Redmen for many years but now the entire organization will play as the Seahawks.

The name change was unanimously approved in December of 2019 by the Football Nanaimo board.

“The name Redmen is not politically correct to be using,” Fraser said. “It was time to bring in some new branding and it felt like the Seahawks, our local NFL team, was the right fit.”

There will be a lot of new faces when the Seahawks season opens on March 22.

Among the older age groups about 10-20 per cent of the registrations are from first timers, but the number of players new to the game goes up significantly in the younger ages.

“When we’re looking at the eight to ten year olds 70-80 per cent of the kids haven’t played football before.”

The Seahawks coaches went through the Safe Contact program and are there to teach the fundamentals of the game including tackling and the basics of each position on offence and defence.

“We’re not a rep team. We’re all about building confidence, core values, working as a team and everyone gets a chance to play at football Nanaimo.”

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dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @danmarshall77