Flag football to set the stage for tackle football in Kincardine

The Kincardine Football Association wants to bring tackle football back to Kincardine.

However, that is an ambitious endeavour. So, the group is setting the stage by introducing flag football to Kincardine next spring.

And for those interested in flag football, a free Skills and Drills Camp is being offered, Monday, Aug. 19, operated by Under Armour Rise Flag Football Canada.

The location is the main field at the Kincardine Davidson Centre, 601 Durham Street, Kincardine.

The camp will operate as co-ed youth, and the time slots for specific age groups are as follows:
 

• Noon to 1:30 p.m. - Under 8 (year of birth, 2017-19), Under 10 (year of birth, 2015-16), Under 12 (year of birth, 2013-14)
• 1:30-3 p.m. - Under 14 (year of birth, 2011-12), Under 16 (year of birth, 2009-10), Under 18 (year of birth, 2007-08)

Flagging, routes, throwing/catching, and footwork will be introduced with fun and engaging activities. Participants should bring appropriate footwear (cleats are recommended but not mandatory). Snacks and drinks are being provided by Sobeys Kincardine. For more information, click here: kincardinerecord.ca/story.php?id=16835.

The idea of a flag football program stemmed from a discussion among Watson Morris, Dan Ogilvie, Otis Dolan and David Waite whose son, Cooper, is the quarterback for a tackle football team in Guelph.

“A flag football team is a lot less expensive than tackle football,” says Morris, “and we can open it up to the whole community.”

“We’ll see how the skills and drills camp goes,” says Waite. “We’d like to have the flag football program up and running in the spring of 2025.”

Flag football is the same as regular football, but it’s non-contact so there’s no tackling. The players have flags attached to each hip and the object is to snatch those flags instead of tackling the other players.

“You have more plays, and there's a lot of throwing, catching and running,” says Waite.

“I think it’s a great idea to get the flag football program going,” says Cooper. “It’ll get kids interested in football and then they can transition to the contact program.”

In flag football, there’s a lot of emphasis on safety in the league, says Waite.

The goal is to have the non-contact football program in place by next spring, possibly Friday nights, at the Davidson Centre field, followed by the development of a tackle football team at Kincardine District Senior School by the fall of 2025.

“The big issue is funding,” says Morris. “We’ve already received a donation of $2,500 from the Kincardine Legion to get things going.”

For more information, check the Kincardine Football Association’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560110438060.



David Waite (left) and his son, Cooper, are hoping to spark enough interest in flag football to transition to a tackle football program next fall



Cooper Waite (No. 12) of Kincardine is the quarterback with the Guelph Junior Gryphons tackle football team; photos courtesy of David Waite