Players in the Westman Youth Football Association got some CFL-level coaching on Thursday night.
Members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were in Brandon to lend a hand during a league practice.
Blue Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea says it’s nice to see the growth of youth football nationwide, especially in the west.
"I grew up in North Bay. There was no minor football and everything was hockey," said O’Shea. "You come to a night like this and there’s a pile of kids with a lot of parents giving there support, it’s good to see football is alive and well."
Also in attendance helping run drills was Bombers general manager Kyle Walters. He grew up in St. Thomas, Ont., where there also wasn’t much opportunity to play football as a kid.
"At that time, there was no minor football as an option," said Walters. "When I was in Grade 8 and I was able to play tackle football, I jumped at it."
"To start them learning the game of football, the more they progress, it’s going to be fantastic. When these guys get into high school and if they move onto university, they will have a much better foundation then kids did at my age."
The Westman Youth Football Association has teams for players aged 7-14 and will kick off its season tomorrow morning.
