It will be a different football experience for nine girls from Yorkton.
Used to playing 9-aside football with the local Lady Gridders, the nine were among 40 players selected to make-up two Saskatchewan teams for the upcoming Red River Cup in Winnipeg, where teams will player six-aside football.
“It will be different for all of us,” said Tyrell MacLean who will be one of the coaches involved. He noted “none of us have coached six-aside football.”
So the nine girls; offensive line Alyssa Sander, Shay-Lynn Pelletier, and Katelynne Hoffman, Austen Dubreuil, quarterback, Brooke Hannotte, running back, Camryn Dubreuil and Katelyn Dixon-Appelton on the defensive line Caelan MacLean, linebacker, and Makayla Pelletier, defensive back, and their coaches will need to adapt on the run. Local coaches involved include Chris Sander, Daryl Zimmer, Jeff Hannotte, and Tyrell MacLean.
MacLean said do to various other commitments the teams have only one practice day scheduled before heading to Winnipeg for the July 12-17 event which will see the two Saskatchewan teams play two teams from Manitoba.
“We will have access to a football field in Winnipeg, so hopefully we can get some practice time there,” he said.
As it stands the teams will play some ‘mini-games’ to set the seeding, then move to full games for the semi-finals, leading up to the Red River Cup final July 17, said MacLean.
The event should be a step up in terms of competition for those involved.
“It’s going to be a more competitive level for sure,” said MacLean, adding when you take the top 40 players in Saskatchewan “you have a pretty good group of girls. There’s a lot of talent.”
