Fall is upon us, and the London Junior Mustangs football program is well immersed into its fall season. This year, the Junior Mustangs fall program has joined the newly-formed Ontario Varsity Football League fall initiative, where the competition and level of play is tops in Ontario. All three teams (Atom, Peewee and Bantam) will be entering the playoff format in early November, and hopes are high for a championship — especially for the Atom team, which is ranked #1 in the league.
The Junior Mustangs program is now in its third year of existence, and can proudly boast that in every season (spring/summer/fall) the program has won at least one championship, which has helped push London football back to the forefront of Ontario football.
The Jr. Mustangs are committed to future growth of the sport in London, and commencing next fall (2014) there will be a major expansion that will include the launching of the Junior Mustangs minor development program. The new minor development league will be called the London Minor Football League, and it will begin play with three divisions (Atom, Peewee and Bantam) in September 2014.
“To be able to maintain a successful rep program, it is essential to create a proper feeder system that encourages growth, fair play, and most of all fun for the young athletes who want to participate,” said Dan Valente, founder of the Jr Mustangs.
The focus of the expansion will be to get as many kids involved as possible, as roster sizes will be set at 25. Players will be placed on their respective teams by postal code, which will eliminate unfair advantages; rules will be implemented to keep scores and games competitive; players in the league will be getting brand new equipment, including helmets and sponsored uniforms; practices and games will be played on turf; and concussion testing will be provided, along with participation awards. Registration is now open at: www.lmfl.ca. Early-bird signup (until Dec. 31, 2013) will be $150 per player.
“The time is right to do this, as many people have been inquiring about our programs and saying how they feel we’re trying to do the right thing for London,” said Bill Tsioros, Director of Football Operations. “Our goal is to bring the total football experience in a one-stop shop.”
To emphasize this philosophy, the Jr. Mustangs have also partnered up with newly-opened Combine East (in the old WADA building), where fundamentals, skill development and position and tackling academies will be taught in the offseason for all levels of play and skill.
www.londonjuniormustangs.com
