www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 16, 2010 · 38 Registration soaring for OMFA By Daniel Perry SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER The 2010 season promises to be a good one for the coaches and players in the Oakville Minor Football Association. The league is growing rapidly. It had approximately 175 youth sign up last year in its inaugural season, and more than 250 have already registered for this season. "We've plugged into a network of football players here," said Ed Tilley, the league's vice president. "I don't want to say that there aren't better players out there, but we've been able to build on a core group of kids and have put together strong teams this year. Even the new kids coming out just seem to know how to move their bodies and throw good hits." Oakville's football teams will be playing all of their home games on the new turf field at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Secondary School. The half-a-milliondollar field is hopefully the first of many in Oakville, Tilley said. "This field just suits football better," he added, as his players tested out the turf field during a practice last week. "Access to practice fields has been our biggest obstacles so far. Since football games are mostly played in the middle of the field, these guys were just tearing up the ground, destroying it. That won't happen with this field. Even if it rains for three days straight. The water could just be swept away and it would be good again." Oakville players have never played in the Ontario championships, Tilley says, largely because of the decreased practice time caused by playing on grass fields. Tilley believes the town's new turf field will impact his players so much, both bantam and junior varsity teams will win their divisions this year and will play in the Ontario-wide championships. Club executives aren't the only ones excited about the new field. "Playing on the turf is great because my cleats don't sink in so much and it makes moving around a lot easier," said 12-year-old Michael Choma, a linebacker on the bantam team. "The field is still new though, so we are all getting used to it. There are a lot of black pebbles coming from the turf right now, but I think that will get better in time. I haven't played football for a long time, so I'm excited to get back in it." PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Mike Malo (in red) tackles ball carrier Aaron Grant during an Oakville Minor Football Association junior varsity practice Tuesday at Loyola's new artificial turf field. More than 250 players have registered with the OMFA for the upcoming season. GRAHAM PAINE / OAKVILLE BEAVER www. com Blades spring tryouts While the current team prepares to compete in the Dudley Hewitt Cup central Canadian championships, the Oakville Blades have an eye to the future as well. The junior A hockey club will hold its spring tryout camp later this month at Joshua's Creek Arenas. The goaltenders-only tryout will take place April 26, followed by a three-day camp for all skaters that begins the following day. All tryout sessions will run from 6-8 p.m. Interested players from minor midget, major midget, junior C, junior B and high school this past season are encouraged to register using the online registration on the Blades' website, www.oakvilleblades.ca. The team's main training camp, for returning players as well as those who attended the spring camp, will take place in August. For more information, call 905-842-6600. Depend on the largest High Efficiency NO INTEREST NO PAYMENT FOR 6 MONTHS OAC AIRE ONE MADNESS SALE Gas Furnace Dealer in the Golden Triangle. 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