After the great showing of the Drumheller Titans in winning the provincial championship, the valley is building its reputation as a football hotbed.
Last Friday, some of these players with aspirations of continuing with the game were given a unique opportunity to showcase their skills. Their audiences may be some of the top university and college programs in the country.
Ron Laprise, who coached last season for the Titans, is also a part of All Star Football. He was joined by All Star Football founder and scouting director Ron Dias for the first Regional Combine in Drumheller.
Combines are where the players are put through the paces with athletic and agility testing. These results give the players a snapshot of where they are in their own development. The information from the combines is also compiled and made available to colleges and universities to give them a look at up and coming players.
Dias is based out of Waterloo, Ontario, and has been scouting for players for post secondary institutions for 24 years.
“I run central scouting for all universities. I give universities an overview of high school football players based on the year they will enter university,” said Dias. “I give them an overview base on athletics and academics. It makes universities aware of kids they likely wouldn’t be aware of and secondly give kids an opportunity.”
All Star Football was in Drumheller Friday night, and then in Edmonton on Saturday. On Sunday they are hosting the top 100 prospects in Red Deer.
With the advent of the Badlands Community Facility, they have bigger plans for next season. Separate from a testing combine, they hope to host the top 100 players from rural Alberta in the valley for a camp. They have plans to also run a top city player camp.
From these camps they would select the top 45 players from each and hold an urban versus rural all star game the next spring.
About 15 players came out for Friday’s Combine including players from Hunting Hills School in Red Deer and Didsbury.
“They are not all going to play football, this is not what it is all about. It is about educating them to understand there are opportunities out there, there is a place for you. You need education to have some opportunity in life,” said Dias. “Kids have to have some rocks in their pockets to weigh things their way.”
