By Simon Garan
The thundering clash of helmets, the screech of whistles, the screams of encouragement and footballs spiralling through the air are common sights and sounds on the worn brownish-green football field of Immaculata High School.
Squeezed between rows of houses and Main Street traffic, the inner-city backdrop seems an improbable location for a new football team.
Fielding a varsity football team for the first time, Immaculata will not only see a new game, but also a new coaching style.
Led by head coach Eric Pickering, the new team is taking a university-style approach to high school football.
“University ball is basically all I know,” says Pickering, who played five years at Bishop’s.
The team competes in the National Capital Secondary School Athletic senior A-league. The new program has players, coaches and students excited.
“It’s the first team ever. We’re making history. I can come back and say, ‘I was on the first football team at Immaculata’. That makes me proud,” says Taty Milonga, the team’s starting fullback.
Teachers Brent Hopkins and Sean Seaman had the original idea for the team. Fundraising and increased student interest made the program a reality.
The team practises almost every day, running university-style drills and plays, while learning the fundamentals of the game. Pickering says he constantly draws on his collegiate experience for practices and game preparation.
One of the greatest challenges with a new program is that many of the players are unfamiliar with the game, he says. With little time to orient the students and hone individual skills, the coach is using a “learn under fire” strategy.
“Everyday he has something new to teach us,” says Milonga.
The strategy has paid off. On the practice field, Immaculata hardly looks like a rookie team. The tremendously talented athletes excel in a variety of highly organized plays and drills. Over the shoulder catches, bullet passes and blistering runs are commonplace. Meanwhile, the players display an obvious willingness to learn.
Still, the time and dedication required is proving difficult for the busy lifestyles of high school students, Pickering says. The biggest problem is player commitment.
The kids have busy lives outside of football including homework, family and other commitments, he says.
Players like co-captain O’Keif Allison-Richards also have part-time jobs to consider. “I have to run home after practice, shower and go to work…The time and commitment are worth it, but, everybody needs to come out to practice consistently.”
Despite the buzz surrounding the new team, Pickering insists balance is critical. “The biggest thing I’m trying to preach is accountability for your actions. Scholastics and commitment tie together. No homework, no football.”
By season’s end, Pickering says he hopes to have perfect practice attendance.
He adds that the support of the student body and community has been amazing.
Administration let the entire student body out early to watch the school’s first ever game.
“The first game was incredible,” says Milonga. “The whole school was here. The sidelines were packed. Everybody was going crazy.”
The team did not disappoint, tallying a win. However, Immaculata dropped its second game of the season.
According to Pickering, the loss served as a wake-up call that the team will have to work much harder and students will have to attend more practices.
The team plays seven regular season games before the playoffs, scheduled for the first week of November.
“If we compete every game and the kids learn each time, it’s a success,” says Pickering.