Capital Area Minor Football Association
History

       
       The Fredericton Minor Football Association was started circa 1973. Those involved in getting football started included Mike Flynn, Bob Cormier, Barry Wishart, Gary Jocelman and Steve Fanjoy. Mike Dollimore joined the fold in 1975 and became the driving force of the association for the next 20 years. During that period, minor football in the area usually consisted of a four team PeeWee league playing 9 players aside and one or two Bantam teams.
      Steve Fanjoy acted as president through most of the 1980's giving way to Keith Bowen in the early 1990's. Dollimore acted as president in 1994 and 1995.

      Any information that can be provided on the early history would be gladly accepted. 

      Varsity High School football was introduced at Fredericton High School in 1985, Oromocto High in 1991 and at Leo Hayes High in 2000.

       In 1995, the last year that the organization was called the Fredericton Minor Football Association, it had 75 youngsters playing on 4 PeeWee teams that played 9 aside and did not participate in the New Brunswick playoffs. There were also 50 players on two Bantam teams that  played in the Western Conference with four teams from Saint John. 1995 there were a total of 125 players on 6 teams in 2 programs in 1995.

        In 1996 Terry McIntyre became president. The  association expanded to Oromocto and changed its name to the Capital Area Minor Football Association. That year it had a 5 team PeeWee league and three Bantam teams in the Western Conference. Also in 1996 the association started a 4 team Mosquito Flag Football League for children aged 7-10. There were a total of 180 players on 12 teams in 3 programs in 1996.

        1997 saw the association go to 12 aside PeeWee football and drop the number of teams to three. The three PeeWee teams played a number of exhibition games against teams from the Fundy Minor Football Association. There were a total of 175 players on 10 teams in 3 programs in 1997.

        In 1998 the three PeeWee teams joined with four from Saint John to form the Western PeeWee Football Conference. The Oromocto Leopards would win the inaugural championship before losing a hard fought 18-6 decision to Riverview in the N.B. Championship Game. The Mosquito Flag League had grown to 6 teams by 1998. There were a total of 227 players on 12 teams in 3 programs in 1998.
        Capital Area Football presented its first "Coach of the Year" award in 1998.

        In 1999 high schools in New Brunswick took in grade 9. The new northside Leo Hayes High School also opened in 1999. This presented an opportunity to change the operation of the three area  Bantam teams. Affiliation arrangements were made with the three schools. The Southside Red Dogs, Northside Posse and Oromocto Tiger-Cats became the Fredericton Junior Black Kats, Leo Hayes Junior Lions and the Oromocto Junior Blues. The Black Kats would go on to win the N.B. Bantam championship and become the first ever team from the area to win a provincial minor football championship.
         Also in 1999 the association added another age division. The 11 year olds from PeeWee and the 10 year olds from Mosquito Flag were combined to form a Mosquito Tackle Football League. Teams play 10 aside, 4 down football on a 100 yards long by 40 yards wide field. The Flag League changed its name to Squirt and now caters to 7-9 year olds. 
          1999 marked the first year that the association held its Pass, Punt and Kick Competition, and its Fastest Player Competition. It was also the year that the association launched its website.
          Spring "Elite" Football took flight in 1999 when the Capital Area 16 & Under Elite Team program was launched. The best players from our three Bantam teams were brought together on one team that practiced for 25 hours and then participated in a tournament with teams from Moncton and Fundy. There were a total of 334 players on 16 teams in 5 programs in 1999.

          After the 2000 season the Fundy Minor Football teams advised Capital Area that they wished to dissolve the Western PeeWee and Bantam Conferences.. They did however agree to provide the three Capital Area teams with a few exhibition games in 2001.  
          2000 was the year that the association created team T-shirts for all its PeeWee and Bantam teams, as well as a Capital Area T-shirt. The first Capital Area Football "Volunteer of the Year" award was presented in 2000. There were a total of 386 players on 17 teams in 5 programs in 2000.

          In 2001 both PeeWee and Bantam teams in the Capital Area switched to 4 down football, with one of the first three downs having to be a pass. 
          2001 saw the beginning of Men's Football for players aged 18 and over. Playing in the summer and using Capital Area equipment that would otherwise be sitting idle, the Capital Area Gladiators played in the inaugural season of the three team New Brunswick Senior Football League. 
           It was also in 2001 that the association created the Capital Area Minor Football Association Bursary. There were a total of 429 players on 19 teams 6 programs in 2001.

          By 2002 all three Bantam teams had fundraised to buy new helmets, game jerseys and game pants, all with logos of the high schools with which they were affiliated.
          At the end of 2001 the Fundy PeeWee teams advised that they would no longer provide regular season games for the three Capital Area teams. The Capital Area needed a fourth PeeWee team in order to have its own league. The Southside team had had close to 40 players in 2001 so it was decided to try and create two Southside teams. The two Southside middle schools were approached and permission was given to use the nicknames from the George Street Middle School Crusaders and the Albert Street Middle School Eagles. Thus in 2002 the Albert Street Eagles and George Street Crusaders were born. The Eagles would surprise everybody by going undefeated and winning Capital Area's first ever New Brunswick PeeWee championship.
           2002 also saw the addition of a 14 & Under Elite team to complement the 16 & Under Elite program already in existence. It was also in 2002 that the association drafted and adopted its constitution.
          In 2002 the New Brunswick Senior Football League set up an interlocking schedule with the Nova Scotia Senior Football League. The "McIntyre Cup" was donated by Capital Area Football as the symbol of the Maritime Championship. There were a total of 502 players on 21 teams in 7  programs in 2002.

         In 2003 School District 18 sanctioned Middle School football as an official school sport to be operated by Capital Area Minor Football. The Northside Mounties became the Nashwaaksis Nordics.
         The Oromocto Red Dogs became the sixth team in the Mosquito League. The Fredericton Bantam Black Kats became the fourth team in the Bantam league.
         The Oromocto Junior Blues won the New Brunswick championship and by so doing became the first ever team from Oromocto to win a N.B. football championship.
          At the end of 2003 the Fundy Bantam teams advised that they would no longer provide regular season games for the three Capital Area teams.
          In spring elite football the age groups were changed from 14  & Under to 13 & Under and from 16 & Under to 15 & Under in order to align them with the fall PeeWee and Bantam ages. A 
17 & Under age group was also added for high school football players. Capital Area had one team in each age group. 
         There were a total of 564 players on 24 teams in 8 programs in 2003.

       
In 2004 Capital Area Minor Football made history by forming it's first ever Women's football team, the Lady Gladiators. A total of 25 players aged 15-50 played six games against a team from Saint John.
         The Fredericton Junior Black Kats completed a dream season. The Kats won the New Brunswick and Maritime Bantam championships. In doing so not only did they go undefeated but also they did not allow a single point to their opposition. 
        There were a total of 615 players on 24 teams in 9 programs in 2004.

       
2005
saw further growth within the existing programs. For the first time ever a football team was fielded at Devon Middle School. Two new teams were added to the Squirt Flag league. Response to the spring 13 & Under program was so enthusiastic that two teams were fielded.
       There were a total of 686 players on 28 teams in 9 programs in 2005.

         In 2006 Walter Stacey succeeded Terry McIntyre as association president. Growth continued within the existing programs. The Oromocto Tigers became the sixth team in our Middle School League. Response to the spring 15 & Under program was so enthusiastic that two teams were fielded. 
       There were a total of 766 players on 30 teams in 9 programs in 2006.

      
In
2007 Walter Stacey had to relinquish his position due to health issues. Jeff Murdock became association president.
         A three team 11 & Under spring program was added. Two new teams were added to the Mosquito program, the East End Crush and Northside Mounties.
      
There were a total of 846 players on 35 teams in 10 programs in 2007.

      
2008
saw the creation of a Girls Tackle Football program for players aged 14-17. Also the Bantam program was subdivided into 12 Man Bantam  and 8 Man Bantam divisions.
         There were a total of 908 players on 43 teams in 12 programs in 2008.

        In 2009 Andrew Allaby became association president. A new Mite flag football program for players aged 6-7 was created.
         There were a total of 871 players on 44 teams in 13 programs in 2009.

        In 2010  a new Girls flag football program for players aged 11-13 was created. As well an Oromocto flag football program for players aged 6-9 was started. For the first time a summer flag football program was operated with two age divisions Under 13 and 15 & Under.
        On the down side a failure to find games lead to the discontinuance of the spring
17 & Under program. Also a drop in Bantam registrations resulted in an end to 8 Man Bantam.
        Our two Girls Tackle teams were part of the inaugural season of the New Brunswick Junior Girls Football League.
         There were a total of 936 players on 55 teams in 15 programs in 2010.