'It's more than just the football part': Indigenous sports camp opens in Saskatoon
Coach says interest in football is growing rapidly in northern and Indigenous communities
The sounds of crashing football pads and coaches' whistles will fill a Saskatoon football stadium this week — but organizers say there will also be plenty of laughs.
About 25 Indigenous athletes from across the province have gathered in Saskatoon for the Six Nations Elite Development Camp.
Head coach Cody Halseth said the young men will learn football skills but that the four-day camp, which opens Thursday afternoon, will also forge new friendships.
"Some athletes come here very quiet and they come out of their shells and by Sunday, they're the loudest person on the field. It's more than just the football part of it. You get to see the relationships grow," he said.
2nd camp for girls may be coming
The camp is organized by Football Saskatchewan — the governing body for amateur football in the province. To attend the camp, players have to be nominated by a coach or their school.
Halseth says interest in football is growing across the north and in other Indigenous communities.
While this week's camp is for high school-aged males, Halseth says the rapid growth in female football participation means a second camp might not be far away.
Most of those participating in the current camp will come from communities where six-person football is played, and the camp will be structured around that format.
There will be daily practices at Saskatoon's SMF Field, followed by a scrimmage Sunday before the players head home.