Rocky View Rage minor football team holding winter camp in Cochrane

After a successful inaugural season, the Rocky View Rage football team is looking to expand its program into a year-long experience.

The team, which wrapped up its first year in November, will be holding weekly camps in Cochrane over the course of the winter.

The no-equipment camps will be held starting Jan. 6 and will run until March 24. They will be held at Spray Lakes Sawmills Family Sports Centre in Cochrane every Sunday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The team is currently accepting registration with an early bird price of $200 and a regular fee of $225.

“It’s going to help grow the program,” said Rage head coach Chris Nay. “Our main focus is to help Rage football, but also local football programs in general. With some of the football in the area, there’s a lack of fundamental teaching. Kids are getting hurt, so we want to get back to the basics and we want them to be safe. We want them to know how to tackle, pursue, run and catch properly. There are a few key things that have been overlooked and we want to help with that.”

The program’s peewee team finished the season 4-4 and Nay said the team has been flooded with interest to register for next season as well as a 100 per cent return rate among the players. There has also been a high demand for atom and bantam teams, which Nay said will be implemented in the fall of 2013.

“Since the beginning of November, our website traffic has tripled and it’s been encouraging at all levels,” he said. “That translates into getting excited about the program and wanting to come back. It was an intense season, but it’s always a lot of fun. To have zero injuries and kids having fun is 100 per cent satisfaction for us.”

The winter camps will lead into a series of full-contact camps beginning in the spring. For more information on either, contact the Rage at info@rageaaafootball.com

bshymanski@airdrie.greatwest.ca