Building a team

Windsor Park

The halls at Windsor Park Collegiate are looking a little more purple these days.

That’s because the school’s community is celebrating the inaugural season of its junior varsity football team.

“After many months of planning, hiring, purchasing, and practising, we are ready to hit the field for our inaugural game,” said Robbie Mager, Windsor Park Collegiate’s principal, on the eve of the Royals’ first game, which was on Sept. 9.

Fast forward to Sept. 23 and the excitement was continuing to build, as the team prepared for its third game of the season.

“This is a brand-new program. Windsor Park Collegiate has never had a football team before,” Mager said, referring to the new team as a “game-changer” for the southeast Winnipeg school.

“We’re a small school community, not one of the larger schools, and this has been our ultimate goal for some time,” he added, nothing there was a rumour about a team starting at the school when he was a teacher there some years ago, but it was just that.

Mager explained the school is partnering with its neighbour, Collège Béliveau, to create a co-op program, where French immersion students from Béliveau can play on the team. The school has filed a motion with the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association and Winnipeg High School Football League to explore this, and hopes to establish a committee.

The Royals lost its first game 0-62 to the Grant Park Pirates at Falcons Field on Sept 9., 33-22 to Steinbach Sabres on Sept. 16 at A.D. Penner Park, and 0-42 to the Crocus Plains Plainsmen on Sept. 23 at Falcons Field. More than 300 fans turned out to support the Royals for its first game, which is a remarkable feat for a JV team, Mager said.

“It’s very exciting for the community, and for the students at the school” added the team’s manager Kristy Nakoneshny. “We have a bunch of Grade 12 students volunteering to help with the games.”

Nakoneshny said a number of the team’s players haven’t played organized football before, and in certain cases even organized sport, which is testament to how far the team has come in a short space of time and how everyone is pulling together both on and off the field.

She said it’s noticeable that the team’s players are spending time together at the school and developing a sense of camaraderie.

“You notice them walking around together — they’re like a little family, and super supportive of each other,” Nakoneshny said. “They’ve created a safe space for themselves.”

Brent Delisle-Boughen, the team’s head coach (who has other roles, too), said it’s been an incredible journey for everyone involved so far.

“Football is a nuanced, complicated game and the learning curve involved can be steep, so the growth of these boys is something I’ve never seen,” Delisle-Boughen said.

“Every moment in practice they’ve learned something and their technique has improved. Their learning has been awesome. We want to build these athletes and build this program, and at the end of the day, we want to build citizens,” he added, noting his gratitude for the efforts of everyone involved in the program so far, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their president and CEO Wade Miller.

Grade 9 student Zach Krahn is enjoying playing high school football with the Royals.

“It has been a great experience to be able to play high school football. I went to Beliveau for grade 7 and 8 and they do not have a football team and decided to change to English programming to pursue my passion of playing football,” Krahn, 13, said.

“Being on the football team is like being part of a family. We all have each other’s back. The coaching staff has been incredible … teaching us new plays and skills and working with us to develop as individuals and as a team.”

Grade 9 student Kayden Mendoza highlighted the transition from 12-player and 9-player football.

“We play 9-man junior varsity, which is a bit different from the regular 12-man football, so it definitely took some getting used to. The field is smaller, which means everything happens faster — plays develop quicker, and there’s less room to mess up,” Mendoza, 14, said.

“You’ve got to be on your game the whole time because even one missed step can make a huge difference. It was an adjustment at first, but now I actually really like it. It keeps you sharp and more involved in every play.”

Grade 10 student Sebastian Allen said he’s having lots of fun suiting up for the Royals.

“Playing football has honestly been such a fun experience for me. I’ve always loved sports, but there’s just something different about football. I really like being part of a team where everyone has each other’s backs,” Allen, 15, said.

“Whether we’re grinding it out at practice, celebrating after a big play, or even just joking around in the locker room, it’s like you’re part of a brotherhood.”

Grade 9 student Ben Brown is relishing playing in the WHSHL, and the gameday experience.

“The contact is much harder than it was last year when I played community football. There have been tons of fans for our home games and the atmosphere has been electric. The vibe in the school is cool on game days as all the players wear their jerseys to school on game day,” Brown, 14, said.

“Playing our home games so close to school allows many of our classmates to come to the games and cheer us on. Playing high school football feels more like a community.”