Spartans seeking to boost football numbers for 2026 season

Posted on April 16, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Garrett Simmons
Sunny South News

The 2026 season is shaping up to be a big one for the Coaldale Spartans Minor Football Association.

It all kicks off April 28 with a parent information night at The Hub in Coaldale, set for 7 p.m. at 2107-13 St. S.

“We are going to talk about all of the events we have going on this year,” said the association’s president, Jaime Metzger. “We have a new board and we’re doing things like upping our concussion protocol and making sure all of our coaches are taking the safe-tackle courses.”

Mezger added the association is prioritizing making the sport of tackle football as safe as possible.

In addition to that, the board is seeking ways to ensure everyone that is interested in playing football this season can, regardless of their financial situation.

“Any child will be able to play, whether they are financially able or not,” said Metzger, who added a number of parents have donated scholarships to ensure money is not a barrier for players.

In Coaldale, tackle football is available to players in atom (ages 8-10 as of Dec. 31), peewee (ages 11-12 as of Dec. 31) and bantam (ages 13 or older as of Dec. 31 of the registration year, who are not yet in high school).

Metzger added football, unlike some other sports, can be relatively affordable for families, considering nearly all of the required equipment is included in the registration fee.

“The only things that are required is a mouthguard, a water bottle and cleats,” she said, and added the association has a large selection of available cleats that can be lent out to players, if needed,

“Basically, the only cost for sure is the mouthguard, and we sell those for $5, so it’s a very affordable sport.”

Atom is $285 and the peewee and bantam fee is $305. There is a $135 team fee charged on top of that – $90 of which is refundable.

The other benefit surrounding football is the nature of the sport, which lends itself to having a wide variety of players, from different backgrounds and communities, coming together to form a cohesive unit.

“It’s a great team sport,” said Metzger. “Football teaches you a lot about teamwork and building each other up.”

With that in mind, players from Coaldale and various surrounding areas, such as Nobleford, Picture Butte and Stirling, to name a few, are welcome to participate.

“It doesn’t have to be just Coaldale,” said Metzger. “Any town that doesn’t have access to football – we would love to have you.”

And tackle football is not the only version of the sport the association is seeking players for. The association is also launching Youth Flag Football Sundays, which will begin April 26 (weather depending) from 7-8 p.m. at Kate Andrews Field. The free program is just another way to introduce youngsters to the sport, and hopefully get them hooked on football.

“There have been studies that have shown that if you can get a flag football league together, you can get about 70 per cent of those players interested in tackle football,” said Metzger.

The association is also offering a free spring camp for tackle players, scheduled for May 23 for players ages 8-14, to give players an opportunity to meet the coaches and get some pre-season practice in.

That camp will take place at Kate Andrews Field from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and will feature a flag football format.

According to Metzger, spring camp and the flag football initiative are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the association has planned for this season. Extra exhibition contests and road games in the fall for teams are just a few other things in store for players in 2026, a season which will also include a Sept. 12 peewee jamboree in Coaldale.

For registration information, please visit https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.lethbridgeminorfootball.org&d=DwIFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=D92kQpCUQSeDPlDuAI4dHpRBIMK1UfXEsc4dce_yyjA&m=iQlN6xIbZbNlvgEiR8biOsiKcdUqQ3uamleD4xX7grAZy6stEBziiqlKmdxs3st1&s=3kXtzQQ1MiDbtxlcX1v26wPcuOpv1Ck1eZjiLnbhJWs&e=. Those looking to reach the Spartans for details on registration, the parent night, spring camp or flag football, can send an email to spartans@lethbridgeminorfootball.org.