MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – The Alouettes wrapped up their first weekend of Junior Camps on Sunday afternoon, capping off an exciting weekend of football at Percival-Molson Stadium.
While Friday’s Classic was played on a chilly evening under conditions better suited for the end of October than the beginning of May, Saturday and Sunday’s Junior Camps took place under a hot sun which rivaled the one the Alouettes players found themselves under in Orlando while taking part in the team’s official Mini Camp just days earlier.
The event, which was back for a 15th consecutive year, saw over 250 kids between the ages of 7 and 15 get the chance to train with their 2010 Grey Cup Champions.
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“Every year, it’s always a really cool experience getting to practice on the same field that the Alouettes play on. It never gets old.” |
“It was a lot of fun,” said Michael W., who was participating in the event for the fifth time in as many years. “Every year, it’s always a really cool experience getting to practice on the same field that the Alouettes play on. It never gets old,” added the budding athlete whose dream is to one day play for the Als.
Michael may have some competition in terms of maintaining his attendance record however. “This was our son’s first year participating in the Junior Camps, and he’s already asked us if signing him up again can be his Christmas gift for the next five years to come,” said the mother of another youngster taking part in the event, Mathis, an 11-year-old multi-sport athlete. “Football has become his favourite sport,” she added. “He’s really been taken by the team spirit, the camaraderie, and the respect that goes along with the sport. He’s become a convert.”
The Alouettes players on-hand seemed equally pleased with the Camps.
“The weekend was awesome,” said the Alouettes’ 2010 Most Outstanding Lineman, Josh Bourke, in an interview following the trophy ceremony which closed the event. “We had a lot of kids out here from a lot of different age groups, and everyone had fun. The weather was beautiful, and I feel as though a lot of kids got better as a result of the Camps. It feels good,” added Bourke, who was also impressed by the talent on display.
“There was a lot of talent on display all weekend. A lot of future CFLers, I’m sure. Football is becoming more and more popular in Quebec every year, and as a result, so are our Camps. The future is bright for football in Quebec.”
Junior Camps are back again next weekend, May 7 – 8. To sign up for the event, which has limited spots remaining, please click here. Also, new this year, the Alouettes will be holding a first-ever Clinic in Gatineau. For more information on that event, please click here.
