Football is proving to be a hit for the new players on the Foothills Bantam Eagles.
Especially for those young players who learned to give and take a hit at the annual Eagles Jamboree on Aug. 19 at Holy Trinity Academy.
Eagles’ offensive lineman David Jimenez Gutierrez is playing his first year of football.
The jamboree was the first time Gutierrez, a Grade 8 student at St. John Paul II Collegiate, had ever lined up against someone who wasn’t a teammate.
“I got a lot of adrenaline,” Gutierrez said. “It felt great.”
He also learned how to prevent being knocked on his butt during a game.
“I learned to go low,” Gutierrez said. “I went straight up and the guy would just push me over. I learned not to be afraid of the guy, even if he is bigger than you.”
The jamboree had one team’s offence squaring against an opponent’s defence for 10 plays. They then switched. The process was repeated, so that each squad had two reps on defence and offence.
There were no special teams, but with plenty of teams from the Calgary Bantam Football Association, Knights Field was filled with players getting used to the gridiron for the upcoming season.
Foothills Eagle Brendan Diebel has a few years of football under his belt, but this will be his first year as a starting quarterback.
“Last year I was a backup quarterback and a tight end,” the 12-year-old Diebel said. “Learning to do reverse pivots (as quarterback) and getting my speed right is difficult.
“Today was about learning — learning to play against another team’s difference… I was happy how I played.”
He said the jamboree will help him handle the pressure when they play for real this weekend.
However, because quarterbacks are worth their weight in gold, Diebel was wearing a red jersey at the jamboree — meaning hands off.
Not too worry.
Diebel said because he played tight end last season, he’s been hit before and knows what to expect.
Eagles coach Kynan Larson said with nearly half his squad putting on the pads for the first time in their careers, the jamboree was a great learning tool.
He added the jamboree provided the Eagles to work out some kinks as they prepare for their season.
The Eagles get things started on Aug. 26 when they take on the Cowboys (Grey) at Hellard Field at 11 a.m.
For more information about the Eagles go to gofa.ca
For more information about the Bantam league go to www.cbfa.ab.ca
