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The Cornwall Wildcats are coming off an extremely successful 2021 fall season in NCAFA at every age level. Their Tyke, Mosquito, Peewee, and Bantam teams all finished their NCAFA seasons with winning records and both their Tyke and Mosquito squads both represented NCAFA at the 2021 Ontario Fall Cup in November at Esthner Shiner Stadium in Toronto. Both squads were able to get wins on the day with their Mosquito squad taking down the Scarborough Thunder 42-18 behind star running back Connor Hamelin’s multiple touchdowns to receive the title of best Mosquito team in the province. The Wildcats will now direct their focus to the newly formed OSFL (Ontario Summer Football League) along with some familiar NCAFA rivals, they will be looking to be competitive in the first year of the OSFL as the smallest community playing in the new league. President of the Cornwall Wildcats Kirby Camplin says
He went on to explain...
“There are definite advantages to being in a small community. Our athletes have a tremendous sense of pride belonging to the local football club.”
There’s a lot to be said about the athletes and coaches having pride in smaller organizations and regions, the Wildcats are based in Cornwall which is a city of around 50,000 people. They rely on development, elite recruiting, and building a culture that the players want to play in to be successful and competitive against much larger organizations and regions. Building on their successful NCAFA season at all levels, The team will be coached by Alex Labonte, a former Ottawa Gee Gee standout, who’s been a longtime Wildcats assistant and coordinator, and the aforementioned longtime president of the Cornwall Wildcats Kirby Camplin on their staff as the offensive coordinator.
”We are excited to see summer football in Ontario finally be under one banner. The creation of the Ontario Summer Football League (OSFL) joins a once fractured football landscape.”
The Wildcats have had success in previous variations of large scale football leagues in Ontario like the OVFL & OFC, but will look to take their previous success to the next level in the new 39 team summer football league. They will be looking to bring some of their talent over from their previous NCAFA teams, local high school teams, and their pipeline recruiting areas to build a skilled varsity team that's ready to contend for an OSFL championship in year one.
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The announcement and proceedings of the brand new OSFL this summer has awakened an old beast in the nation's capital. Two of the most prolific and storied franchises in Canadian amateur Football are going toe to toe in a recruiting battle for the best up and coming football players in theCity of Ottawa. Being the only two teams from Ottawa in the brand new league and recruiting restrictions not being applied like they are in other leagues like NCAFA, both franchises will be pitching the best talent in the nation's capital to come play for them this upcoming season. So the million dollar question for the talent in the Ottawa area is, do you want to be a Panther or a Rider?
Both teams have had undeniable success in every league they’ve played in, and have been, for the most part, bitter rivals in every single one of those leagues. Both clubs are coming off of strong NCAFA campaigns, with all teams at each level having a winning record except one division for both sides. Both Cumberland & Myers have had success in recent variations of summer varsity leagues in the past, with both teams regularly dominating the east division of the OVFL at both the junior varsity and varsity levels. Both teams will have to rely on their recruiting pitches to get the best talent in the Ottawa area. Head coaches for Myers, Christian Nalli for varsity, Ralph Siciliano for junior varsity, and Tony Canonico for bantam are tasked with going head to head in a recruiting battle against head coaches Julien Dasilva (varsity), Mike Schmidt (junior varsity), and Nate Dunlop (bantam) of the Cumberland Panthers. Coach Nalli from Myers says
Referring to the intense rivalry between the two teams. Both clubs have a solid foundation of home grown talent from their NCAFA teams, given both bantam squads records this past NCAFA season. But with only the Panthers fielding a midget team in NCAFA this past year, the recruiting battle is off and running for Ottawa's best talent. Coach Schmidt of the Panthers says
Both teams have already begun announcing their agreements with some of the best talent from other NCAFA organizations like the Nepean Broncos/Eagles, the Bel-Air Norsemen/Lions, the North Gloucester Giants, and the West Ottawa Knights to name a few. Many of the elite players from these organizations will be wearing the black white and red or the blue and white for the first time in the upcoming OSFL season. Many of these players will be going toe to toe with some of their former teammates from their NCAFA upbringings. The rivalry is alive and well in Ottawa once again between Myers & Cumberland, and both coach Schmidt & coach Nalli have high expectations for the upcoming season. Coach Nalli goes on to explain
“We as a team are looking forward to the high level of competition. I’m sure a lot of the other teams will agree also just to get back to what we know as normal, getting back on the field and playing football in front of family, friends and fans. Enjoying life again as we did before the pandemic. Looking forward to OSFL 2022!”
Who will come out on top as Ottawa's best? We’ll have to wait and see. For now, check out some of the best plays in the rivalries history via HESN and stay tuned for some more great content from the upcomingOSFL season.
James Keenan stared playing football at 9 years old with the Bell Warriors. The Warriors Football program is a long standing organization in the west end of Ottawa providing tackle, touch and flag football programs for children 7 - 15 years old. Like many kids, James was an athletic player and started playing Quarterback from day one. In his second season, the coaches moved James to the defensive secondary where he won a major award with the team. James, although having success on the defensive side of the ball, knew that he identified as a Quarterback and set his mind on competing and winning the position back at the Mosquito level as a second year kid.
James says he benefited from watching his older brother Charlie as far back as he can remember. Charlie was also a Warrior great - a few years ahead of James and a running back by trade. "Before I was old enough to play, James says, I would attended all of Charlie's games and cheer him on".
"If it wasn't for my big brother, I probably wouldn't be playing football". James says
WHO DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE NEXT OTTAWA QUARTERBACK TO MAKE THE JUMP TO U SPORTS? Please comment below, share the article and help us cover local sports news, produce highlights and broadcast games live with HESN. Please consider becoming a Patreon below;
When asked what made him pursue coaching he says, "Without a doubt my passion for the sport. Hockey is ingrained in me as a daily ritual. When I quit playing at the age of 21, I knew that I was going to miss going to the rink everyday so I volunteered with the Ottawa Jr Senators as they were right in my backyard and they were looking for a video coach. I always believed that I would one day be a better coach than player because I feel that I undersand the game at a higher level than my own playing ability could get me. The transition to coaching seemed to be a no-brainer as I want to help kids understand the art of hockey. I want to help kids break down in-game situations in order to help them make better decisions on the ice". Dan says it's difficult to say what he likes about coaching Hockey the most. "There are so many parts of coaching that I am passionate about. I would have to say that my favourite part of coaching is seeing the day-to-day progression of players that are really eager to learn and to improve their game. There is nothing more satisfying than working with a player or a group of players and seeing them develop under your very nose. Seeing players ask questions, incorporating new elements into their game, getting outside their comfort zone, improving on their bad habits, buying in and being open-minded… those are the day-to-day things that make coaching the best job in the world. Dan reminisces on one of his most rewarding moments as a coach, and describes the first game that was played in Gloucester last season after the team was sold. "It was my first game as a Head Coach and we had only practiced once. The feeling and the energy the players showed that night will be something I will never forget. The team had only one win in their first 10 games before that night and we ended up winning that first game against a very good opponent. It was a win that was fully attributed to raw emotion, passion for the game of hockey, and a rejuvenated moral. Seeing the look on those players faces and knowing that things were turning around is what made it rewarding for me. It motivated me to put in the work all season long because I didn’t want to let this group down. Coaching is full of rewarding moments as long as you take the time to recognize them".
Like other sports, Hockey teaches many lessons that can be applied to other aspects of ones life. Through coaching, Dan explains, he's learned that winning and succeeding is a result and not an objective. There are many terrific coaches and great teams out there that never get the chance to win. Only one team can win every year. It is usually a combination of several things that make a team win and, unfortunately, luck can play a big factor. If winning is your objective, you will be disappointed when you lose. Therefore, as a coach, you must focus on the journey and overcoming obstacles with your players. If you focus on winning, your motivation and confidence can take a hit when you lose. If you focus on the process and doing things the right way, losing motivates you to push yourself. Embracing challenges and enjoying every day of the journey is what I try to value and encourage my players with. Obstacles are part of the process and they should not defeat you; they should push you to persevere. This way of thinking definitely applies to all aspects of my life including my job, my relationships, my hobbies and my goals. Do you know of or are you a coach in the Ottawa area? HESN wants to hear from you, contact us at info@hesn.co Adam Boxall is the Defensive Coordinator for the Myers Riders Peewee team. Boxall grew up playing NCAFA football with Bel-Air and Myers. After his NCAFA days were over, Boxall went on to play for the Ottawa Sooners in the QMJFL for five years, winning two championships and being named an All-Star. Boxall also played three seasons with the Montreal Condors/Ottawa Deacon Demons team before having to hang up his cleats due to an injury. Along with football, Boxall also played hockey and baseball and was recruited by the Montreal Expos.  Boxall started coaching full-time in 2009. “A good friend of mine worked at St. Patrick High School and they were looking for an offensive lineman coach. That was a great year in which we won the high school AA Championship. I stayed at St. Pats for 2 more years before accepting a job coaching with my brother for Myers Riders Tykes and have been with the organization ever since.” Boxall explains.  Boxall says that his favourite thing and main love of coaching is driven by the feeling of success. “When I see players master a skill or an individual comes alive in a session when ordinarily they sit back in the shadows and don’t push themselves forward to be heard. Football gives them the confidence to express themselves and I enjoy being part of a team that is united on a field, rooting for each other to do their best and produce a great performance” says Boxall.  Boxall says that one of his most rewarding moments as a coach happened when he was the interim head coach for a Mosquito game. “In 2015, my brother Scott was in the hospital and was unable to coach. He named me the interim head coach for that upcoming game and I remember sitting in the hospital room going over plays and schemes. We have been coaching alongside each other since tyke and he felt that I was the right fit for the job. Needless to say we won that game and I felt very proud calling him after the game with the players to let him know that he was not let down.”  Boxall’s biggest challenge as a coach has been a recent one, “I was blessed with twins and it has been very hard to balance home life and coaching. I have an amazing wife who supports me with coaching and I’m able to coach 2 nights per week. Without her love and support I really do not think I would be coaching this year” explains Boxall.  Do you know of or are you a coach in the Ottawa area? HESN wants to hear from you, contact us at [email protected]. Stephen Dean is the President of the Nepean Eagles as well as the President of the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA). Dean played baseball and football in Ottawa growing up. Dean finished his tackle football days at St. Pius X and began playing touch football. “My enjoyment of the game extended to many years playing and coaching in the Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League (ONTFL), this, ONTFL, is what brought forward the idea to add touch football to NCAFA.” says Dean.  Dean began coaching when his son made the local team, “he had just turned 9 and joined the Nepean Redskins (now known as the Eagles). This eventually led to my taking on the role of club president and a board member of the NCAFA.” In 2005, Dean became the NCAFA president. “I took on the presidency roles as I felt I could add value to their respective organizations. With the Eagles, it was to consolidate the four tackle levels into a more efficient program, while adding cheerleading, flag football and a girls touch programs. With NCAFA, it was to reshape and grow football, add girls touch, expand to other geographies, as well as stabilize and grow our financial base.” says Dean. Dean says that his favourite thing about his position is “the ability to affect change. No change can be made without getting the buy-in of the membership. I enjoy working with the board members and building consensus as we move our sport forward.” Dean says he has had many rewarding moments, but that created many benefits was “the removal of weight limits in 2007. This decision removed a system which limited participants from playing with their peers and unfairly stigmatized those who were ‘over’ weight. We now have players on the field who come in all shapes and sizes and we have become the inclusive sport football was always meant to be.”  Dean, and NCAFA, face a variety of challenges to the sport, the main challenge is “NCAFA’s ability to remain flexible and focused. This will especially be the case in dealing with a significant amount of proposed changes coming from Football Canada. The best way to deal with situations like this is from within. To that end, I have been asked by the OFA to chair a committee to review the FC ‘s proposed changes and make recommendations in turn.” “On a final note, it should be clear to all that a strong NCAFA is imperative to ensuring football continues to thrive in the region. We have entered a phase where I see a stronger NCAFA emerging. With partnerships like that with the REDBLACKS and the efforts of many committed volunteers, I see a very bright future for the NCAFA and the sport of football.” says Dean.  Here are some things that others in Ottawa's football community have to say about Dean: "When you're young playing sports your coaches are your mentors. They provide guidance and advice for you along your athletic career. However, when you're older having mentors and advocates is equally important, and Steve has come to be a great mentor and friend to me over the years. Like the coaches you remember and are grateful for, I am truly grateful to have known and learned many lessons from Steve". - Jesse Card “I had the pleasure of working with Steve Dean on the Board of Governors for the National Capital Amateur Football Association (NCAFA) for several years. I found him to be a man of boundless energy, integrity and honesty, with a sincere desire to do what was best for the players at all ages across the league. Under his leadership, NCAFA grew to become the largest amateur tackle football program in the province. Steve always had time for you no matter what the issue. In the football community, I consider him to be a true leader with a clear vision. On a personal level, I consider him to be a friend.” - Jim Wagdin Larry Ring was the Offensive Coordinator for the 2017 OPFL Cumberland Panthers Junior Varsity team this Summer. This was the team that won the Provincial Championship. Check out this clip of the winning touchdown: Growing up, Ring played everything he could; football, hockey, baseball, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, rugby and track. He won the city championships with his team atSt. Pius X High School. He played AAA and Junior hockey. Ring also played for Team Ontario in Rugby. While attending Bishop’s University, Ring played football and hockey. Ring was with Montreal in the CFL, but he had a back injury that eventually forced him to quit the sport. “I wanted to stay connected to the sport and a year later began as an assistant coach with McGill University. I got hooked right away because it was the closest thing to the feeling of playing and being part of a team. The team started to have success and I really immersed myself into coaching and decided I wanted to do it as a career.” explains Ring. Ring says his favourite thing about coaching is game day. “I love the adrenaline you feel. I really enjoy trying to make kids better and motivating them to reach their true potentials. I also really like preparing for an opponent each week. I am very competitive and like to win and coaching allows me to do that and also teach the kids I coach how to win and what it takes both mentally and physically.” says Ring. 
Ring says that there are so many rewarding moments as a coach that it is hard to pick just one. “There are moments when I see a kid really improve or tell me I was a big part in shaping his life. I coached university football for 14 seasons so when I reconnect with players I coached it is very gratifying to see how much playing football gave them. If I was to pinpoint the top 2-3 moments it would have to be winning three consecutive conference championships when I was the Head Coach at the University of Ottawa and winning the Vanier Cup (Canadian University Championship) as the Defensive Coordinator at McGill. However, I have had many rewarding experiences coaching my kids in community sport after I stepped away from being a university football coach but the last two years I have been coaching with the Cumberland Panthers and we just won the Provincial Championship. This win is so fresh in my mind and was such a team effort by all the players and coaches that it is such a tremendous moment in my life. Nobody thought we could win and we won with 5 seconds to go which made it an incredible moment.” explains Ring. Ring says his biggest challenge as a coach “personally, was becoming the Head Coach at the University of Ottawa when the program was in disarray. With the help of some great assistant coaches and key alumni we built the team back up step by step and made them a top program in Canada. Hard work is the key but also having a plan and working smart. This year was also a challenge coaching the Cumberland Panthers Junior Varsity Team. We had 16 players not come out for the team who should have been there, we started the year 1-3 and had our players starting to think we weren't very good and we couldn't win without all the athletes we didn't have. A lot of hard work, sticking to our plan and building up our kids mentally led us to win our last 7 games and the Ontario Championship.” 
Do you know of or are you a coach in the Ottawa area? HESN wants to hear from you, contact us at [email protected]. Rob Hamm coaches with the Beckwith Irish Football Club in the spring and he is a volunteer assistant coach with Saint Lawrence University in the fall. Hamm has been coaching for over 36 years. Hamm started playing baseball and softball when he was about 10 years old. During high school, Hamm continued with softball as well as football, wrestling, track and field, and rugby. In his graduating year at South Carleton High School, Hamm was selected as Male Athlete of the Year. Hamm played football for five years and lettered for four years at McMaster University. He also threw shot put in his last two years in University. After graduating from McMaster, Hamm changed sports to rugby. He competed in Eastern Ontario with his club team and played rep for Ontario; But that wasn’t the end of Hamm’s sports career, “I was also fortunate enough to play rugby at a high level in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. I feel that my exposure to so many varied sports has allowed me to keep training and competing even as I approach 60 years old. The more sports you compete in, the better.” says Hamm.  “I knew early on that teaching and coaching were going to be a part of my life. My coaches in High School, Bob Erwin and Ron Ritchie, were the best coaches and mentors a young athlete at the time could have. They both taught the value of giving back to the sport. I also love being around sports and athletes. There is something very gratifying about being able watch athletes in any sport get better every day and every practice.” says Hamm. Hamm says that his favourite part of coaching is “the technical aspect and teaching fundamentals of sports. But even more, I enjoy the mental aspect of the game. How do you develop a style that hits all the players you coach? That is critical to me. Each athlete is different and comes from a different place. Finding the trigger for each of them is a positive challenge. Finally, just teaching and guiding athletes as they work towards their level of success (and success is different for each one) is a huge benefit to me.” Player safety is an important part of the game. Check out this video, featuring Hamm, from the Orleans Bengals’ Safe Contact Clinic: Hamm says there have been many great moments throughout his coaching career, “I have watched players I have coached make it to the professional ranks, receive scholarships for sports, graduate from top schools and become successful people in all areas of life. That is a very gratifying feeling knowing that you played a role in their development.” “But honestly, the best thing I ever did was putting a team of athletes from all over the region together and taking it on the road to Nova Scotia in 2011. We were just a group of NCAFA players with some additions that went to play the NS provincial team. Just putting that team together was success enough, but what that trip did for so many of the players who would never have had that opportunity is the most rewarding part. Many have gone on to higher levels, some never played again. But they all stay connected even to this day, when they see me, they always say, ‘Hey Coach, remember when we went to Nova Scotia and we did…?’.” says Hamm. He says there are so many more amazing moments, too many to name. Hamm says that one of his biggest challenges as a coach has been “changing my coaching philosophy and communication skills. When I started in 1982, all coaches were hard on players at every level. We were coached that way and knew no better. However, as the years have gone by, that has changed and those coaches who still embody that style, have fallen by the wayside. For me it has taken research, trial and error, working with coach mentors and observing both good and bad coaching styles. Being a "systems" coach is easy, reaching athletes in today's world is hard. Today's athletes have so many choices and influences, that you need to be positive, nurturing and working to develop resilience. My saying now is this " You can't do it.....yet!" That one word "yet" is a very powerful and positive word. I have also learned that there is an art to talking to a player. I call it "Feed Forward" meaning I do not tell a player what they did wrong, I advise them on how to get a better result in the future. This has not been an easy transition, and players will tell you that sometimes I can be tough, but like the athlete, the coach has to work hard every day just to get better.” Here is a video from the Athlete Success Event where Rob Hamm speaks about 'Sports for Life': Rob Hamm is a very experienced coach who wants to help players become successful in all aspects of their life and be a positive influence in their lives. Do you know of or are you a coach in the Ottawa area? HESN wants to hear from you, contact us at [email protected]. Darcy Findlay is currently coaching with the Nepean Raiders JR A Hockey club in the CCHL. Findlay is heading into his second full season with the Raiders, previously he was the assistant coach for Kanata and Smith Falls. Findlay was also a coach with the Hockey Eastern Ontario 2001 OHL Gold cup team last spring in Kitchener, Ontario showcasing the areas best players to the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence. Growing up in a small town, Findlay participated in many sports, such as baseball, golf, volleyball, basketball and soccer. He had a passion for Hockey which led to his NCAA career. “Playing on the sports teams was just what we did, it helped develop the overall athlete.” says Findlay.  After graduating NCAA Division 1 in Minnesota, Findlay was thinking of continuing to play Hockey in Germany but he was offered a job teaching high school and hung up his skates. “After one year out of the game I still had that competitive edge and decided to get involved. Fortunately, I was able to jump into the CCHL and haven't turned back since.” says Findlay. Findlay loves that coaching allows him to be at the rink every day but his favourite part is working with the kids. “I love helping them work towards their goals and become better athletes and people. It's definitely not easy, if it was everyone would do it. Being able to share my experiences and knowledge and seeing them improve is awesome. When I’m able to help my players achieve scholarships or major junior packages and have a great overall experience is rewarding. It's an extremely important time in their lives between the ages of 16-20, and having the trust of their parents is an important factor.” Findlay’s most rewarding moment as a coach so far has been seeing his athletes move on to bigger and better things. “It's still very early in my career, however all graduating players have been able to play at that next level of NCAA, CIS or major junior. The biggest thing however I would say is preparing them for the real world and being a good person, and if it involves Hockey even better.” says Findlay.  Findlay says that his biggest challenge was “early on I had to learn not every one agrees with you, and depending on how it may impact the team you need to step back and do what's best for everyone. After all there is a bigger picture then yourself.” As a physical education teacher, Findlay is able to stay within a teacher/mentor role at all times. “One thing I've realized is there is a huge difference between the regular high school student and the competitive athlete. I've learned the different ways to approach both settings.” says Findlay. Matt Chartier is a wide receiver’s coach for the JV Cumberland Panthers. Previously, Chartier coached with the Bel-Air Lions Bantam team, starting as the offensive coordinator in his first year and then as head coach for three years, winning back to back championships in 2014 and 2015. Chartier played a variety of different sports throughout his childhood and high school years, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, baseball and touch football. Chartier played football from age seven to 19 with the Bel-Air Lions. He also played one season with the Myers Riders JV team as well as two years of high school football at Holy Trinity.  Chartier decided to start coaching because of his passion for the game. “Playing the game, I was honoured enough to be coached by some of the best coaches in our city and took valuable information from all of them. Whether it was the X's and O's or passion and dedication each of my coaches left something very important with me year to year. I found once I lost the desire to play it was my turn to develop the young players in our city.” explains Chartier.  Being a part of the player development is Chartier’s favourite part about coaching. “Not only teaching the game, systems, plays or fundamentals; but watching a player turn into a student of the game. There is nothing that makes me more proud of a player like when they are able to help their peers during learning periods or chalk talk sessions.” says Chartier.  “The most rewarding feeling I have had as a coach was in my first year as a head coach. That year we were coaching a very young, athletic team who just had a desire to work hard and put the extra effort in. They needed lots of work with X's and O's but they had a fire that just could not be coached. As they developed year to year, they just weren't able to put it together as a group to win it all. Even though our 5-3 record didn't scare to many people leading into those playoffs their competitiveness and fight did. I and my staff made a vow to make sure those boys won that year; by being positive, reassuring them when they were down and never putting them in a bad situation. Needless to say those boys earned their win and my most rewarding moment was seeing their smiles hoisting their hard work in the air.” says Chartier.  Chartier’s biggest challenge as a coach was in his first year of coaching. “I was heading into my first season with Bel-Air as an offensive coordinator with aspirations of running an extravagant, next level style of offence. When I arrived and tried to put in this style of system I hadn't thought that half of the roster has never put on pads before. My complex system just was not built for these kids. I recently heard some amazing advice from Mark Nelson, Ottawa RedBlack's Defensive Coordinator, at a Coaching Clinic. To sum up what he said; don't get to caught up in your ways and remember it's about the kids and do everything you can to put them in the best possible situation to succeed. So that is what I did, I had to re-vamp and scale back significantly to put those kids in a situation to succeed. We ended up having a pretty great season, but our inexperience was exposed versus the higher experienced teams.” says Chartier.  Do you know of or are you a coach in the Ottawa area? HESN wants to hear from you, contact us at [email protected]. |
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