Two main objectives were outlined for the coming year at the Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football annual general meeting Nov. 24 in the Taylorton Room at the Day’s Inn.
Minor football’s need to increase participation among this area’s youth, and especially in the 13 to 15-year-old age group, provided the familiar aim. Also desired from the non-profit organization is to rebuild the group’s coffers, which were partially run down this past season due to busing costs and the purchase of new equipment.
Kevin Mortenson, president of Estevan Minor Football, said the 2015 season saw a jump to 90 kids playing minor football on the atom, peewee and bantam teams from the 61 athletes that signed up the year before. He said the executive is happy with those numbers, but they would prefer to see upwards of 100 to 115 kids playing football next year giving each team a roster of around 35 players.
Mortenson said they dealt with small numbers of 13 to 15-year-old players in the organization during 2015 as well, so the message this coming year to anyone who returns or enrolls for the first time is to bring a friend. He said they will also be going to schools both in the city and surrounding towns to conduct football clinics over the coming months to drum up interest as well as promote the Don Narcisse All-Star Event that is coming to Estevan May 15.
“It probably will help when (kids) know there is a professional football player coming,” said Mortenson, about the former Roughriders’ great bringing his football camp to Estevan. “He’s going to bring some CFL players with him, former or current. I know he’s been here in the past and kids really enjoyed it. That was over six years ago. So that might help bring (up) the numbers (and) encourage the kids.”
The need to rebuild Estevan Minor Football’s coffers this coming year is the result of a $9,500 cost of busing players with the Century 21 peewee Chargers and Estevan Lions bantam Steelers to cities across southern Saskatchewan for their road games as well as the $7,500 expense of acquiring new playing equipment for the kids.
Mortenson said these expenses were both necessary and partially offset through a $10,000 sponsorship from Penta Completions at the beginning of the year, but there was still a need to dip into their savings due to a lack of money gained though fundraising events during the season. He said that will change before and during the 2016 season as the organization will be hosting many events to try and improve their financial well-being.
“We’re possibly going to be having a cabaret this spring, so that will help,” said Mortenson. “We’ll probably do some steak dinners. We just have to get our act together and get some more corporate sponsors.”
While Mortenson will be entering his third year as president of Penta Completions Estevan Minor Football in 2016 and will be once again joined by Paul Duncan as vice-president and Renee Borhat as secretary, a number of changes to its board of directors was announced. Trisha Meshke has stepped down as treasurer of the organization and will be replaced by Dena Bachorcik. Derrick Mitchell and Jennifer Wock Moore have been named members-at-large. And Pat Ford has taken over equipment manager duties after longtime volunteer Bill Paulson resigned.
Bill and Val Paulson “has been involved since 2008, probably 2007 when they were originally just talking about getting football started in Estevan again,” said Mortenson. “They were very instrumental in keeping it going in Estevan and of course we’re forever grateful.”
