The Kincardine Football Association has been getting help from all over as it tries to kick off a new program at Kincardine District Secondary School (KDSS) next fall.
Otis Dolan, one of the group's directors, says Kincardine used to have high school football back around the 50s. There was reportedly talk from groups in the past trying to bring gridiron action back to the community, but this time the association says it has the passion to get this over the goal line.
Dolan, who played and later coached football for Korah Collegiate in Sault Ste. Marie, says it's a game that helps shape young men, including himself.
"For me personally, football, especially high school football was really a lifeline. Not to sound too melodramatic, but if it wasn't for football, I probably wouldn't have finished high school and I honestly, probably wouldn't be here today. It came at the right time and it gave me sense of direction and purpose," he said.
The association's other directors include Watson Morris, Dan Ogilvie, and David Waite. Dolan says they've heard lots of demand from students to bring football to the school, but because of the cost, it will truly take a town effort to make it happen.
"When people look at high school football, they look at that as kind of a weakness — 'Aw man it costs so much money' — but really, that's the thing that ties football to the community, because you need that support," he said. "Once you get the kids on the field, that brings everything together, so local businesses and individuals can see where there money is going."
Financial support has been coming in from local businesses. The association recently received donations from Lighthouse Chiropractic and Wellness, Superheat, and HuronTel.
It also lucked its way into some free equipment, thanks to a tip from the SDSS Royals head coach Joey Wentworth and the overall brotherhood of high school sports.
"There's a coach, Heath Weir, in Newmarket, coaches at Huron Heights which is one of the strongest programs in Ontario. They just said, 'Hey, we've got 30 sets of pads, come and get them for free.' So there is support out there, and I would do the same thing for anybody that wanted to start a team," said Dolan.
The plan is to join the Bluewater Athletic Association loop next year and bring it up to four teams. Dolan hopes that a resurgence in Kincardine could prompt some other communities to bring back football too.
While it won't be easy to start a program from scratch, the group has some things working in its favour on top of the strong community support.
First, its launching an Under Armour flag football league this spring to help drum up interest. Registration is already open for players anywhere from age 5 to 17.
The coaching staff also boasts experience among themselves, so Dolan says they're up to the challenge of shaping what could be a rather raw group.
"That's also an advantage, when you start from scratch, no one has any bad habits. We really have an opportunity to hit the ground running and we do have the coaches," he said. "Elliott Montag, he was a center for McMaster when they won the Vanier Cup; that's a great o-line coach. We have a guy, Mark Billing, he just showed up to our last flag football game, he's like 'I want to help out. I played football.' 'Great, where?' 'Oh Western.' And then Brandon (Kushnir) in Toronto coached all these high schools and rep."
Dolan says they also do have a core of volunteers that don't have a coaching background but just want to help out, which he says is crucial to long-term success.
"In order to keep a program going, you're going to need a steady flow of coaches," he said. "So I feel it's a responsibility of coaches with any experience to coach the coaches."
As for bringing in players, he says the great thing about football is the opportunity for anyone to play.
"With football, you really take everybody. There's a spot for the, you know 110lbs soaking wet kid and there's a spot for the 250lb kid," said Dolan. "There's no barrier based on your size, skill, anything; football will take anybody. And there's a million opportunities to play. There's 12 players on the field, you have offense, defense and six special teams units. So that's 96 opportunities to see the field."
The group is still looking to raise $30,000 more to purchase uniforms, field equipment and help with travel costs. Those that want to donate can find its GoFundMe page here.
To learn more about the Kincardine Football Association, visit its Facebook page.