Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Club football returns up north as college football begins down south

Just as the NCAA down south and the CIS here in Canada begin college and university tackle football for fall play, Tom Skippen is leading the charge to bring OMFL club tackle football up north here in the Counties of Grey and Bruce and the City of Owen Sound, one athletic endeavour I truly believe has finally come of age. Currently has two sons involved in minor football down in Orangeville, the former Honda Manufacturing of Canada worker from Alliston started an industrial league, which became the largest in the nation. Furthermore, he came back to Owen Sound in the mid 1990s to start up the Owen Sound Flag Football League, a very successful league that could have continued to be strong if supported well enough in the community in my own humble and honest opinion.

From all these startups, Tom has moved toward creating the Grey Bruce Renegades minor football program, where one can contact him by phone at 519-377-5963, mail at tom@hardwaterrescue.ca and check out their web at www.greybrucefootball.com.

Personally having watched the whole 2000s decade go by with failed ventures for Grey Bruce football in both the Cattlemen and Colts, I do sincerely hope this one well and express such goodwill towards it, though I know it has a long road ahead. During the same time in that decade, we all have watched the proud oldtimers Grey Highlands Lions, Owen Sound CVI Falcons and West Hill Raiders fight, tear and claw for their survival, while expansion newcomers like Saugeen District Royals and St. Mary's Mustangs cruise into championship games flipped between each other, change happens and positive reaction can be made. I believe the same thing could happen for a minor junior football program in the Twin Counties, but only time will tell how successful it can be, longlasting it will remain and my hope is that it will be indeed.