Kicking off a new year in true sportsmanship style, the Battle River Shock team try-outs are slated to start off early in 2026
Based in Camrose but practicing mainly in Lacombe, athletes (Grades 9-11) are drawn from the Battle River School District and beyond. Players join from across the region, from Pigeon Lake, Wetaskiwin, Lacombe, Sylvan Lake, Rocky Mountain House, and Ponoka to Hay Lakes, Leduc, Camrose, Stettler, Donalda, Viking, Sedgewick, and Red Deer among others.
There will be a Combine/ID Camp on Jan 24th from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and then try-outs are set for Feb. 1 (1o a.m. to noon); Feb. 16 (noon to 2 p.m.); March 1 (1 to 4 p.m.) and March 8 (2 to 4 p.m.) Cost for the try-outs is $250.
All sessions run at The Dome in Red Deer.
Todd Lewis, head coach of the Ponoka Broncs football teams, first got involved with the Shock back in 2018.
"There are many things I love about Shock, but I especially love how it builds football community within Central Alberta. Without Shock, players would typically only see each other players as opposition -- for example, Ponoka players only interact with Lacombe players during games.
"While football culture is already pretty strong at developing a mindset of mutual respect between players, actually playing alongside one another and spending time together during the Shock season creates actual unity and brotherhood amongst our players despite not coming from same towns," he added.
"When these players finish the Shock season and return to their hometown teams, it's so fun watching them play against other teams and see old Shock teammates. They still compete and play hard against each other -- likely harder when it's a Shock teammate you're hitting -- but there's a deeper level of respect between players despite being on different teams."
The club's website notes that 2009 was the inaugural season for the Battle River Shock, "However the foundations for midget football in the area were well laid dating back to 2003."
At that time, the only midget team in northern Alberta was the Tri County Freeze.
It was comprised of players from the counties of Leduc, Wetaskiwin, and Camrose. Then, in 2006, the CDMFA (Edmonton) started a midget program and The Freeze joined the group. A second team - the Chill - was later formed as well.
The Freeze and Chill names were dropped as Leduc eventually had enough players to run its own team -- the Ti-Cats. "But, to not leave the country boys out, they also allowed us to operate our own team through Leduc minor -- we were named the Stray Cats."
Later, in 2009, the Battle River Shock team was launched, and has been breaking ground ever since.
And they've certainly known significant success, landing champ status for three years in a row, along with being named Defence of the Year by the CDMFA for 2023 and 2024 (for offence in 2023 as well).
Meanwhile, Lewis said this camaraderie amongst players does a few amazing things.
"It teaches kids that other players aren't the enemy; they're just people who also love football, and that it's something we all share and should celebrate. Also, because these kids have a connection to their opposition and have a better understanding of what opposition actually is, they are far more likely to play football the way it should be: with class, respect, sportsmanship, and complete effort," he explained.
Lewis said the team also creates a Central Alberta identity within the athletes.
"Our coaching staff is full of dedicated, knowledgeable, committed, and player-focused coaches. Every year, I learn from watching these other coaches in action and try to incorporate their strategies, teachings, and drills into my own coaching.
"It's a blast pushing these top-tier athletes so they can achieve and find ways to not only be successful, but win as a result. Our ultimate goal is to win championships, and we've done that four times in the last five years).
"And because Shock is more competitive-focused, it means our roster consists of the strongest players in Central Alberta, not only in skill and athleticism, but in character and commitment as well. As a coach, it is a pleasure having a roster that already knows the basics of football and who are eager for more challenge and complexity."
Lewis also pointed out that in hometown teams like the Broncs, most kids are playing football for the first time. As a result, hometown programs are responsible for establishing kids' foundation as players.
"This includes their skills, fitness, knowledge, and, most crucially, their mindset, commitment, and character," he said.
"This foundation needs to be solid if they're going to build on top of it in the next level of their football careers. At Shock, we build upon players' foundations. We expand on the basics the players learned in their hometown teams while also reinforcing the importance of those basics.
"Because Shock has a large and experienced coaching staff, we're also more able to offer specialized coaching than most programs. Players will polish old techniques while gaining new ones during position-specific training periods."
Looking ahead, Lewis encourages youth across the region to head to an upcoming try-out.
"Trying out for teams is never easy, but you can get better at dealing with that challenge the more you do it. By trying out this winter, it'll make trying out for the next thing that much easier. It's valuable experience. "
For more about the Battle River Shock Midget Football team, head to www.camroseminorfootball.com, or find them on their social media platforms.