14 - A Feature Section of the North Shore News - June 9, 1982

Development is ‘tops’

Larry Reda may be a bit
prejudiced, but he claims,
with considerable cen-
thusiasm, that the British
Columbia high = school
football program is ‘tops in
the country’.

A bit prejudiced in that

AT THE ANNUAL dev

the North Van District fire mimor league football, both

department captain is also
the Exccutive Director for
High School football around
the province. But perhaps
pot so prejudiced when one
discovers that Reda is basing
his statement on 25 years in

as coach and administrator.

Association, the overall
governing body of amatcur
football.

the province
there are 63 teams mvolved
in high school football

and according to
numbers

programs,
Reda, while the

camp held over Easter, Vic Rapp gives some poisters to some of the 100 high
school stedents from around the lower maintand.

may not be increasing
from year to year,

the quality is.

‘Over the last 10-15 years,

the calibre of the high school

has improved

to the fact that all coaches in
the high school programs
must be enrolled in the
provincial certification
program, giving a constant
standard and level of per-
formance.

Gone is the day when
different schools would each
have their own sets of rules,
odd pieces of equipment,
and improper coaching.
Thanks to the certification
system and the association,
everyone is working towards
that same goal with the same
standards.

While the lower mainland
schools undoubtedly wince
somewhat at the reminder,
Larry Reda points out that
when Kamloops captured
the provincial championship
in 1981, it provided one of
the biggest boosts for the
game in some time.

The win has sparked more
than considerable interest in
the football program from
schools in the interior, and
according to many sources,
it is going to take some doing
to wrest the

With more and more
teams playing exinbifion
games in the United States,
and with the goverment
athletic scholarship plan, in
effect, coupled with regular
courses and development
programs, the quality of the
game is increasing
significantly.

Every Easter, the B.C.
Lions, in conjunction with
the schools, hosts a
development camp _ al
Empire Stadium,
culminating in the Semior
Bow!. for graduating senior
players.

Approximately 100 young
players take part in the
development camps.

What with the cconomy
and the hagh costs facing

schools, running a football
program is not all that
simple. In fact, much

on whether the
administration of the schoo!
is in favor of football. Many
schools provide full costs,
others imsist that the team

take on much of the
financial responsibility
themselves.

Reda has organized a task
force of ‘corporate people’
interested in the game, to
travel around the province
assisting schools and offering
advice *> those who want to
become involved im_ the

game.

Quality
shows
steady

increase

In addition, the BCAFA
also provides start up grants
for a number of teams.
helping to ease the financial
burden.

Judging from the number
of young high school
students who enter
university programs on
scholarship, itt would appear
that the provincial program
is successful. And Reda says
that one of the biggest
reasons for the success ts the
fact that there are so many
‘outstanding pcople  in-
valved.

After 25 years in the
business, he claims that the
people involved in the game
in B.C. are the reason whey
the high school province is
tops.

‘A great bunch of people
in very demanding jobs’ ts
the way he describes the
many hundreds of voluntcers

and teachers who are

making footall the sport it 1s
today.

LEASE ME" ee ''BUY ME"

“1 EASE ME“! e “BUYME™

“LEASE ME''¢ “BUY ME”

NEW 1982 JEEP CI5

; NEW JEEP WARRANTY
a Was $10,762 Sale Now
GARR FRARCING ARRARGED Ga TEE S7GT

MOUNTVI

1600 Marine Drive
North Vancouver 0980-3431
OC a largest AMC Jeop Rona Ovuator

“LEASE ME''e''BUY ME'':

“WANG... ¢ AW ASVAT.

a

‘aa!

>.

Wi

$ mi
s944| &
.

ROTORS @
tTo <

=

m

(A 0109 :