All systems go for football at CK: Totten

BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Register

According to the school’s athletic director Leta Totten, things are looking positive for high school football at Central Kings - as early as the fall of 2008.

Totten confirms two meetings have been held and “the support appears to be there,” both from parents and the community, and in terms of interested students.

“Our goal is to have a team on the field by September of 2008,” she says, joining NKEC, Horton and Avon View as Valley schools playing provincial high school football.

Totten admits there has been a lot of interest among the C.K. student body, especially given “there are a lot of kids at our school who play minor football and, when they reach age 16 (Grade 10) and are too old to play bantam, there’s nowhere for them to go.”

More than 70 students in Grades 8 through 11 signed an interest sheet circulated last spring, and though she adds, “how many we’ll have when we’re ready to go is hard to say,” she anticipates there would be more than enough potential players to proceed.

Totten adds Central Kings “tried to do this a few years back, but we found we weren’t ready for it. It seemed like a big undertaking at the time, and the Valley minor program wasn’t as established as it is now.”

Now, however, the time appears right, for a number of reasons - including the growth of Valley minor football and the presence of high school teams at NKEC, Horton and Avon View; making for a natural rivalry.

Totten confirms, starting last spring, she had been in contact with the other three high schools “asking questions about organization and fundraising,” and “information was shared back and forth.”

She has also spoken with Dave Higgins, the commissioner of the NSSAF high school league, who is “former teacher of mine at CEC.”

She admitts, though the interest appears to be there at C.K., “the costs are fairly high, and we’re starting from ground zero. We’re looking at around $30,000 in start-up costs to do a good job, and there are certain things you want to have in place before you start.”

Totten sees high school football as being good for school spirit at C.K., which has already been the case at NKEC, Horton and Avon View.

“It’s a great spirit-builder, and I can see it flying here, especially with the level of interest we appear to have.”

Along with the parents and community members – “there were about 50 people at our first meeting,” she say, “and you could feel the energy in the room” – students have also attended the organizational meetings, and “seem keen to help.

“We’ll be having a meeting within the next week with interested students, and letting them know we’re going to need their help.”

Totten acknowledges, “we aren’t likely to have a game facility in our first season, but we’re hoping to have one in the future.”

The top priorities right now are obtaining a commitment for corporate support and coming up with the funding for equipment and other start-up costs, “and we have to start now. We can’t wait until next fall.”