Montreal – The kickoff of the 2013 Program of Excellence Football Quebec evaluation camps will take place tomorrow at Hebert Stadium in St. Leonard. The evaluation camps will then continue on 13 and 14 April, and will host a total of 500 of the best football players who will vie for spots on Quebec’s Provincial under-18 Team, who will defend their title at the Football Canada Cup this summer, as well as Canada’s National Team who will compete at the IFAF Under-19 World Junior Championships in 2014.
The evaluation camps will allow athletes to show their physical abilities to the head coach of Team Quebec, Brad Collinson (Rouge et Or Laval University) and his assistants. Ultimately, they will invite 120 of the best Quebec hopefuls to the selection camp, which will take place on June 1st and 2nd, 2013.
The selection process will be completed at the team’s training camp, to be attended by 54 athletes who are selected by the previous process. Of these, only 40 players will travel to Moncton for the 2013 Canada Cup, where Team Quebec will defend the title against provincial teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The tournament will run from July 15 to 21, 2013 at Rocky Stone Football Field in Moncton, New Brunswick.
During the 2012 Football Canada Cup in London, Ontario, the Quebec team won the gold for the second consecutive year by defeating first New Brunswick in the quarterfinal with a shutout by a score of 36-0. Quebec had then defeated Saskatchewan in the semi-final by a score of 34-15, and then won a tight final match against the Alberta score 21-11.
First stage of selection of Team Canada for the IFAF under-19 World Junior Championship:
Tomorrow will also be an opportunity for the new head coach of Canada’s Junior National Team, Warren Craney (York Lions) to evaluate under-20 Quebec players who are hoping to make the Canadian team next year. At the previous IFAF World Junior Championship in Austin, Texas in 2012, Team Canada defeated the United States in a dramatic final match to bring the gold medal home.
Schedule of camps Adidas Football Excellence Program Quebec:
March 23, 2013:
Adidas Evaluation Camp # 1, Hébert Stadium, Montreal
9am to 12pm – Team Quebec under-18
1pm to 4pm – Team Canada under-20
April 13, 2013:
1pm to 4pm – Evaluation Camp # 2 Adidas Team Quebec under-18 Telus Stadium, Laval University, Quebec
April 14, 2013:
1pm to 4pm: Evaluation Camp # 3 Adidas Team Quebec under-18, Hébert Stadium, Montreal
(With files from Christine Manzo)
Photo credits: Football Quebec website
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