Sports | DrumhellerMail

Fournier to coach Zone 2 football team Alberta Summer Games

fournier

   Drumheller Titans coach Ken Fournier is taking on a much bigger squad this summer coaching the Zone 2 football entry in the Alberta Summer Games.
   This year, the Summer Games will be held in Leduc July 14 -17 and Fournier has been selected to lead the squad.
   “This will be a new one for me, this is the first time that I have coached bantams,” said Fournier.
   He explains Zone 2 encompasses communities surrounding Calgary. The selection camps are coming up in Okotoks and Airdrie from May 5-8. Invitations have been mailed to perspective players. This year eligible athletes are born in 1998 or later, or graduating from Grade 9 come June.
   “We’ll put a team together, practice a few times over the weekends, and compete against other teams from the other zones,” said Fournier.
   He explains he was brought on to help build representation in the zone. The last time a Drumheller player was at the Alberta Summer Games was four years ago when Tracker Robinson played.
   Fournier has invited Dale Johnston to assist with coaching and a number of current Titans have been mailed invitations.
   “I know there are a few guys who are excited to try out,” said Fournier.
   The competition is an eight-team tournament, and unlike coaching a program where you develop players over the long term, the focus is to get the players ready for a single event.
   “You are not trying to teach these kids everything in the four days of selection camp, you are picking the best athletes you can find right now,” said Fournier. “That doesn’t mean that if you see potential in the players, you can’t put a little work into them.”
   The Alberta Summer Games happens every two years and includes 14 disciplines from Athletics to Volleyball. Leduc previously hosted the game in 2008.

Spring training planned for Peewee Terrapins

Football season is gearing up for spring. On Monday, March 29 Peewee Terrapins coach Thomas Laffin spoke with The Mail, “We are going to start our spring training in April. We will have the field to ourselves for two weeks before the Bantam Titans and Sr. Titans start their spring training.”

Coach Laffin continued, “There is a Meet & Greet for new players and their parents on April 11 in the Terrapins field house, at Drumheller Valley Secondary School football field. Then on April 18, the actual spring training will begin.”

“At this age group, grades five through seven, you are starting from scratch and they haven’t created any bad habits. They are ready to learn. We are mainly fostering the love of the sport.” explained Coach Laffin.

There are two more coaches for the Terrapins, Heather Jones and Cory Miles, however the Peewee Terrapins are always looking for more coaching staff.

Peewee Terrrapins vision statement is: Have a great attitude, give great effort, be a great teammate, show mental and physical toughness and finally, be respectful to your teammates, coaches, parents, schools and community.

Gran Fondo Badlands brings more cyclists to Valley

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As spring returns and the snow recedes from the roadways, residents and visitors are getting back on their bikes in greater numbers.

This may partially be attributed to the successes of bike events in the valley including the Tour of Alberta three seasons ago and then the Gran Fondo Badlands which is returning for its third season.

The Gran Fondo Badlands is slated for June 25. Last year the event attracted 700 riders taking on a variety of courses from 50 kilometres to the full 160-kilometre route. Registration is open.

‘I think we are over 200 registered so far,” said one of the event organizers Donna Sawchyn. “People are thinking about riding.”

She says the event’s reach is also expanding, with a sizable population coming from B.C. and Northern Alberta.

“We are really pleased we are getting the word out. We are actually seeing some tourism come from this,” said Sawchyn.

In fact, she says that was one of the goals of the event, and the buzz is coming from the cycling community.

“We are connected with a big cycling community here in Calgary and last year we took people out for a ride. So they are going east as opposed to west (to the Rockies) now,” she said. “People don’t realize how great it is out there.”

Some of the positives of riding in the Drumheller area Sawchyn says are the quiet roads, the good weather, the vistas and the technical riding aspects for the terrain.

She explains the Fondo is less of a race and more of an event, making it accessible to a wide cross section of bikers. Riders do not have to be pros.

“We try to advertise this as an event as opposed to a race,” said Sawchyn.

Shaun Field is a local rider, he chuckles and says he has joined the ranks of MAMILS (Middle Aged Men in Lycra). He is seeing more riders from Drumheller as well as from out of the community on the roads. There are a few small riding groups that get together for rides.

“This is becoming a critical mass,” he said. “It is certainly picking up. I am seeing families that are all cycled-up coming out, which is always good to see.”

As a cyclist, he appreciates the valley with it scenery and terrain.

“It’s good to know that people are taking an interest in it. It’s a great thing to do and I hope more people take an interest in it,” said Fielding.

Sawchyn said there are some changes this year at the Gran Fondo Badlands. The Fondo is now associated with Two Wheel View, the organization that takes Drumheller youth on the road for the Badlands to Banff Bicycle excursion. The Fondo also supports the Navy League.

While the event is billed a non competitive, the Fondo is adding the King and Queen of the Mountain, two timed climbs; one leaving the Bleriot Ferry, and one battling the 8 per cent grade leaving the valley east of Dorothy.

“We are going to combine the two hill climb times to determine the winner,” she said.

There are many opportunities for volunteerism. To help with the event, go to www.granfondobadlands.com and follow the links.

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