By: Mike Still (@mikestill94)
Feature photo: CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie speaks to the crowd at the AMFC conference.
Over 100 coaches from across Canada came together this past weekend to network and learn from each other as part of the 2019 Association of Manitoba Football Coaches (AMFC) conference.
Organized by Football Manitoba and Team Manitoba U16 head coach Jeff Ready, the clinic was the first of its kind locally since 2011.
“I think a conference like this is incredibly valuable, because we had a diverse topical lineup, hit community and competition levels, strength and conditioning systems, position specific program building and leadership seminars,” Ready said.
“Being able to offer that type of content and a venue for coaches to actively network and share was amazing to see.”
Among those providing their insight during the two-day conference were CFL commissioner and Manitoba Bisons product Randy Ambrosie as well as 13-year CFL veteran/best-selling author Angus Reid, Winnipeg Blue Bombers coaches Paul LaPolice, Marty Costello and Richie Hall and Manitoba Bisons head coach Brian Dobie.
Ambrosie — a former first round CFL pick and Grey Cup champion — provided a passionate speech during the evening dinner on day two about the state of football in Canada. He discussed the many values it teaches and how it can change people’s lives. As part of his talk, Ambrosie included his personal journey in the sport and the role it played in him overcoming academic struggles in school en route to obtaining a business degree from the U of M.
“For me, I was a kid who couldn’t see the value in school. I literally saw my mother go to parent teachers from the time I was in elementary school right through junior high and come home crying every time. Every semester she cried because she thought ‘how could my kid be that rotten consistently?”
And then I played for the East Side Eagles and I fell in love with football. And the first question I asked was what does it take to play pro football? And somebody said ‘well you’ve got to go to university.’ And it totally changed my life.”
A common theme all weekend long was the importance of trust.
“Trust is a skill, and skills need to be practiced,” Reid said in the first of his two keynotes during the weekend.
“Anything that can be improved with work is a skill. Anything that can erode without work is a skill. Trust can be improved with work. It can fall apart very quickly if we don’t work on it. It is not something that just happens and it is not something that you just give somebody. It needs to be practiced every single day.”
Dobie — well known for the bond he’s formed with his players over more than four decades of coaching — spoke about trust in with reference to the player-coach relationship.
“Trust. It’s not blind anymore. [The players] have a clue. And they need to believe in you. They need to believe that what you’re doing is in their best interest. That’s important.”
Feedback from the event was tremendously positive, with a follow-up for next year almost a near guarantee at this point.
“We want to keep bringing coaches together from across Canada,” said Ready.
“We already have interest in next year’s conference from coaches in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Alberta.”