The objective of the Thousand Islands Minor Football League is to give every player a fair opportunity to participate, develop and excel at the gridiron game.
“I think we’ve been able to do that,” said Karl Hammer, the league’s vice-president.
The TIMFL takes pride in what they do. For more than 10 years, they have prepared boys and girls for high school and junior football in the Kingston area.
The league for players eight to 13 years of age is based on fair and equitable play, and winning is not the No. 1 goal.
Learning how to play the game and having fun is what it’s all about.
“It’s such a great opportunity for kids to learn the game in a safe and friendly environment,” added Hammer.
“We have close to 450 children registered in the Atom-Pee-Wee and Bantam divisions.
They have four to five years of football under their belts, so they learn to tackle, block and catch the ball before attending high school.”
With concussions being a serious issue in the sport today, Hammer says every precaution has been taken to ensure a player’s safety.
“Safety is a top priority,” continued Hammer. “All coaches have taken a safe-tackling course.”
The TIMFL kicked off a new season on May 4 and will continue until its championship day on Sunday, June 24 at LaSalle Secondary School.
There are six teams in each division with clubs in Kingston East-West and Central as well as teams in Sydenham, Ernestown and Gananoque.
“It’s all about having fun playing football,” says Hammer.
Mission accomplished.