Rick Stiebel/News staff
There’s a lot more to this group than the games they play on the gridiron.
The Westshore Warriors football team, a collection of 24 boys between the ages of nine and 11, have made giving back to the community a major part of what the group was all about. The team will present a cheque this month to the B.C. Cancer Society for $500, which they raised in October in conjunction with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The players wore pink socks and pink ribbons on their helmets and helped sell baked goodies at games to support the cause and raise the funds, explained Lucy Hansen, the team’s manager.
“The boys really liked wearing the pink socks,” she noted. “The enthusiasm they showed for supporting the community was truly awesome to see. This team has amazing support from the parents and coaches, and we’re all extremely proud of what they accomplished on and off the field.”
One of the elements Hansen enjoys as team manager is the opportunity to work with a group of players that, in many cases, progress from atom to peewee together, as her son Jacob has. “These kids never missed a game or a practice. They’re like a family, which is really great to see,” she added. “The last day of the season they were very emotional, they didn’t want it to end. The whole season was about the family they became, the fun they had and the accomplishments they achieved.”
The team also donated a shopping basket full of non-perishable goods to the Goldstream Food Bank just before Thanksgiving weekend.
Warriors coach Sean O’Hara, said he was inspired to suggest having the team help the food bank by another coach who did something similar with his team. “We wanted to continue with something like that and the kids bought in in a big way. It’s pretty cool,” said O’Hara, who’s been coaching minor football for six years. “This was one of the best group of parents I’ve been around, very involved, helpful and enthusiastic, and that really showed in their kids as well. As coaches, we’re responsible for not just teaching them how to play the game. We’re mentors that teach life skills as well. This group really excelled in that regard.”