Cats football host another successful Junior Jam event for league teams

On Saturday, September 21 seven football teams descended on Graham Acres for the annual Junior Jam hosted by Whitecourt Cats Football. Teams from Grande Prairie, Sexsmith and Edmonton, joined the Cats for a day of learning and fun. A team from Valleyview was unable to attend. Grade twelve players are usually the ones who get the most field time during the season which is where the idea for the Junior Jam originally came. The purpose is to get the younger players onto the field to learn the game and improve their skills in-game scenarios against other teams rather than a scrimmage against their teammates.

“It’s a learning experience for our grade nines who don’t get to play during league games. This is their day to play lots and learn the game of football. Our grade tens and grade elevens who don’t get to start games and play as much, get to start and shine,” explained Cats defensive coach Derek Schlosser. The Junior Jam has been taking place for over 25 years, and the Cats team was one of the first teams to start doing it.

“It was a way to make it a showcase for our community and to be able to show what Cat’s Football is all about. The teams that come love it because nobody else does it as we do. We have a barbeque happening, and it’s a lot of fun.” One of the selling points for teams from Grande Prairie is that they are bigger schools with lots of players, so an event like this lets them see their players better which is invaluable for both the players and the coaching staff.

“The big thing for us as a team and players is to identify who can play what and where. For example, we were struggling in our defensive end position before today, and we put a guy there to see how he would do, and he’s been exceptional. We would’ve never found that out otherwise because in a game it is tough to get somebody new in there to try something unless it is out of desperation. He’s been playing in that position all day now and has been very successful.”

He said it’s also a great day for parents to see their children play, especially if they don’t see as much game time right now. “If your kid is in grade nine, then you don’t get to see them play much at all, so this is your day to get to see them play lots,” said Schlosser. Another important factor of getting to see all the kids play is that they can test out their ability to protect themselves. “We have to be worried that players can protect themselves, and this is the perfect opportunity because even though it is fairly controlled, it still gets pretty violent.” While the games took place, coaches were able to be on the field, along with grade 12 players, to help guide the juniors and show them where to stand and how to maneuver in the game. “It’s a great learning experience.”

League play continues until the end of October and after that teams are split between two bowls. “The top four teams in the league play for the Peace Bowl, and the bottom four teams play for the Athabasca Bowl. The last three years we’ve been playing for the Athabasca Bowl, and we’ve been quite successful at that, placing ourselves at the top of the bottom four, but we would like to be in the Peace Bowl this year, and I think we have a great shot at being there,” said Schlosser.