Build it, and more will come

Windsor Park

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This article was published 14/06/2023 (848 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Organizers at the Falcons Football Club are putting their best feet forward by handing more opportunities — to youngsters in the local community and beyond — to participate in the sport.

The club, which is based at Maginot Arena in Windsor Park, recently held a presentation to celebrate two significant funding contributions from the province and city. The funding totals more than $310,000 and will be used to towards the installation of field lighting and a scoreboard.

“We’re a small club, with a small board, but we all pitch in,” said Sheldon Kobewka, the club’s president and vice-president, noting the Falcons became an independent club several years ago having previously been affiliated with Greendell Park Community Centre in St. Vital.

Kobewka said the upgrades will help in numerous ways, such as illuminating fall practice sessions when the sun starts to go down earlier, and replacing the current rented scoreboard on wheels, which “is likely on its last legs.”

The club recently held “try football” days, which were open to anyone interested in taking part, and participants had the chance to try their hand at basic football skills , such as throwing and catching the ball, as well as other drills.

In keeping with its mandate being to provide sporting opportunities for youth, and after years of developing amateur football in the Bonivital area of Winnipeg, Falcons Football Club has now extended its reach beyond city limits, and has welcomed a number of players from Sagkeeng First Nation.

“We now pull from a broader catchment area, and one of the teachers on Sagkeeng First Nation buses in its players twice a week. It’s 90 minutes here, and it’s 90 minutes back, which shows their commitment. We’re happy to work together on this,” Kobewka said.

The Falcons is also fielding a girls team for the first time this year, and Kobweka is looking forward to building for the future — with the support of the community as a whole.

“We’ve done as much as we possibly can to let our football community exist,” he said.

Kobewka said letters have been sent out all local businesses in the Windsor Park area to request sponsorship — helmets, for example, are a much-needed expense — and he’s grateful for the support the club has received so far, from dedicated volunteers, businesses such as Lakewood Dental Centre and Wheatfield Insurance, and even the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

The Falcons U19 girls team took on the Interlake Thunder, ultimately losing 30-0. All but two of the team’s players are from Sagkeeng. Speaking after the game, Falcons players from Sagkeeng shared a few thoughts on the season so far.

“I enjoy the hitting. I like the adrenaline and like the teamwork,” said first-time football player Duncan (who did not provide her last name). “Like, I didn’t join football because I wanted to … I was basically dragged by (her friend Saphira, who also did not provide her last name).

“They’re like, ‘Come on.’”

“What stands out to me most is what you said — like, teamwork, and people who are not friends become friends within this sport,” Saphira added. “You know how when you’re all put together on the ground like that, because of this thing? That’s what I like.”

Both players highlighted the contribution of head coach Kathy Calancia — the “heart and soul of the team” — who provides a strong support system for the players and is with them every step of the way.

Having had three children who’ve grown up playing grassroots sports, Kobewka said he still loves giving back to the community and the payback that provides.

“When you see the excitement of the kids when they put on that helmet and shoulder pads and jersey, it uplifts them,” he said.

“One good thing about football is that there’s obviously multiple positions on the field, but all the players are dressed the same and they all get time on the field. The only thing that’s really different is their shoes. Inclusiveness is a very important word.”

Go online at falconsfootball.ca for more information.