Muskie football camp readies for pre-season

The Muskie football team, practising each afternoon for the past week-and-a-half, will get its first taste of game action in 2007 tomorrow when the squad plays a quartet of half-hour scrimmages in Winnipeg starting at 4 p.m.
“We’re still assessing everyone. All the positions are still open,” head coach Vince Gouin said.
“I want the players to see what it’s like in a real game . . . from there we can assess what positions suit their physical attributes,” he added.
Gouin, in his first year at the helm, has been impressed with the pace, enthusiasm, and work ethic of his 35 practising players during the last 10 days of tryouts.
He also was pleased with the rookie turnout. Thirteen prospects turned out during camp—split pretty evenly between those in Grade 9 and 10.
“That’s very promising for our future,” Gouin remarked.
One of those standout rookies was Tyler Abma, a 10th-grader who enjoyed the atmosphere and camaraderie with his teammates at the practices.
He also liked the coaching, but noted the staff “make us run a lot—not all the time, but when we’re not doing things right.”
Abma noted he’s always enjoyed playing football with friends, but didn’t play with the Muskies last season due to his commitments with tae kwon do.
This year he let football win out.
“Fighting just got a little slow,” he remarked. “I can do a little more while I’m here.”
While a number of players on the team are established athletes and known Muskie contributors, Gouin declined to talk about too many specifics in terms of strengths and weaknesses until the team had returned from Winnipeg.
“All the players are showing a lot of promise in all positions,” he said.
Slated for tomorrow afternoon are scrimmages against Tec Voc and Maples Collegiate (two high schools from Winnipeg), as well as against former NorWOSSA rivals Kenora and Dryden.
The pre-season showdowns are the last tune-up before the Muskies play their WHSFL season-opener next Friday (Sept. 7) at 3 p.m. against Sturgeon Heights.
Gouin said he was pleased with his coaching staff (much as he is with his players). And while leading the team isn’t completely foreign to him, due to his background in the sport and as a teacher at the school, it’s still a new role to fill.
He said his biggest adjustment wasn’t a huge one: “Just keeping things simple . . . remember they’re all 14-16 years old, and they’re all learning.”