Minor Football Returns To Prince George

Rositano said being connected to the provincial governing body is an important step for the program and for young athletes in the region.

“So being part of this provincial board, we’re actually sanctioned and fully insured through football BC we have sanctioned games, we have the referees are on board, so they’ll be at our games and we’re providing training ground for the referees so we can build up the younger generation of refs that we haven’t had in a while,” he said.

Registration is now open, and the association is offering the first 100 kids the chance to play for free. A free skills camp is also scheduled for July 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at D.P. Todd, which will serve as the association’s home field for the season.

Rositano said the goal is to remove barriers for families and allow more kids to try football.

“We’re trying to make it affordable for everybody to play,” he said. “With PG minor football, we’re offering the first hundred kids free to play, and the skills camp is going to be free.”

The association has already received support from Football B.C., which purchased 100 helmets for the program. Local sponsors are also helping provide shoulder pads and jerseys. Rositano said that support will help keep costs low for families, with equipment included for players.

The program is also expected to create new development opportunities. As the only local association connected to a provincial governing body, the PGMFA can provide players with a pathway to sanctioned competition, identification camps, Team B.C. opportunities, and provincials.

Rositano said the association is also focused on training coaches and referees in the north, so people do not have to travel to the Lower Mainland for development opportunities.

“What our focus will be is training the players, training the coaches, training the referees and building a program that everybody is learning and progressing,” he said.

The return of a sanctioned minor football program could also lead to a major milestone. In 2026, Prince George is expected to have a minor football team compete at provincials for the first time in five years.

For Rositano, the work is about more than wins and losses. It is about rebuilding a community football program that gives kids structure, teamwork, discipline, and a place to belong.

by Nick Dube

Minor Football Returns To Prince George

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