Capital Area Minor Football Association Coach of the Year is Jeff Murdock, Head
Coach of the 2002 Oromocto Junior Blues. Jeff is a certified Level I coach.
He has also completed his Level II Technical.

Jeff began coaching with Capital Area Minor in 2000 as Head Coach of the
Oromocto PeeWee Leopards. The 2000 PeeWee Leopards would make it all the way
to the provincial semi-final. He assumed the same role with the Junior Blues
in 2001.

In 2002 the Junior Blues faced the daunting task of playing in the Capital
Area Final against a Fredericton Junior Black Kats team that was three time
defending provincial champions. The Kats were not only undefeated in 2002
they had also not given up a single point. The Blues would play the game of
their lives stunning the Kats 29-11 and advancing to the provincial
semi-final. They would lose this game to MacNaughton Highlanders 24-22. The
Blues advanced to the Highlander 10 yard line in the final minute only to
fumble away a chance to win the game.

The success of the Blues on the field in 2002 is only part of the story. Off
the field coach Murdock and his wife Kelly spearheaded a major fundraising
effort to upgrade the Blues uniforms and equipment.
Efforts began in the spring of 2002 when the Murdocks mobilized a group of
"football parents" in the Oromocto area. In May they held a bottle drive
that netted $1,400. They organized a yard sale in the same month that
brought in another $800. A car wash in June raised $600. Grocery packing at
the Superstore in September yielded $800. Another bottle drive in September
produced $1,600. Kelly and a group of football "moms" ran BBQs and 50/50
draws at all PeeWee and Bantam games in Oromocto during the season. This
pulled in $800 more.

In total this Oromocto group raised over $6,000 in 2002. The money was used
to upgarde the Junior Blues equipment and uniforms. This included paying off
the balance oweing on 35 new Green Bay Gold VSR-4 helmets that had been
acquired in 2001. As well the team bought Green Bay Gold game pants and
Royal Blue hard cup chinstraps. Finally a sponsor was found to purchase 40
new game jerseys for the team.

For 2003 Coach Murdock will be heading the Capital Area 15 & Under Elite
team. He is already working on recruiting players for the 2003 Junior Blues.

Terry McIntyre, President
Capital Area Minor Football Association