Article content continued

“We need to give kids a chance to experience the game in some way so they associate football with fun and good feelings,” Ambrosie said. “That will make the conversion to fan-dom that much easier.”

The CFL/NFL flag football tournament is something the Redblacks are enthusiastic to be part of.

“Every team in the CFL has bought into this,” Sluban said. “We make it a huge experience for the kids. They get to meet some of the Redblacks players and they’re introduced as they come out onto the field.

“We want to attract kids who have never played football before. Last year, we had a lot of soccer players out of season taking part. It was such an eye-opening experience for them. I know, for a fact, that a number of those kids who played in the tournament last year are now playing tackle football in NCAFA. We want to do everything we can to get these kids to play the sport.”

Particularly impressive is the popularity of girls and women’s touch football in the Ottawa area. It goes back more 25 years when Ed Laverty, the godfather of touch football in the area, put a strong push on getting women involved.

In recent years, NCAFA has enjoyed success with its girls touch football program. There are 34 teams this year.

“Football can be an incredibly positive part of a girl’s life,” Ambrosie said. “We’re seeing that. We’re seeing success with not only girls’ football, but women playing football as well.”

NCAFA’s director of non-contact football, Rodney Moors, said there had been “good, steady growth. You know how in girls hockey they have two-year divisions because, if they tried to do single, they might not have enough players. The girls, when it first started (in football), had four-year divisions. You had peewee, sort of Grade 8 and under. Then there was bantam, which was really all high-school ages. We’ve gone to two-year age groups, which starts younger. We’re mosquito, peewee, bantam and midget. It’s been better for the players’ enjoyment. They don’t have to play people that much older.”