It strikes me that there is a bit of irony in the fact that the end product comes before the building blocks in the lineage of summer and fall football in Sudbury.
From April through until early August, gridiron fans by the hundreds marvel at the athletic feats of the Spartans and Jr Spartans (U16 & U18), with all three teams now welcoming talent from right across the province to northern Ontario for a little action on the turf of the James Jerome Sports Complex every summer.
Yet it is not until Labour Day weekend that the Joe MacDonald Youth Football League secures the spotlight, that very breeding ground where so many of those who toiled throughout the warmest days of the year first cut their teeth in the sport.
Just seven years old, Max Bartolucci is still quite a ways away from taking to the field months earlier than the September Holiday Monday that kicks off JMYFL play in earnest.
In fact, the grade two lad at St Francis Catholic Elementary School who also plays soccer can lay claim to only a small handful of practices to date in this, his first year of involvement with what is clearly a family passion.
A little on the quiet side, Bartolucci plans to let his play do the talking.
“Tackling is the most fun thing on defense, getting to the ball carrier,” said the young man who will face far more opponents who are older than younger than him this fall. “You have to stay low when you tackle. But it’s nice to have two or three guys there so if I miss the tackle, they can do it.”
Brady Demore was “this” kid not all that long ago.
A 12 year-old who turns 13 in November, Demore enters his sixth season of JMYFL play, super excited to be making the switch from running back and defensive linebacker to quarterback.
“I’ve always thought football was a great team sport,” he said. “I really enjoy playing it.”
“We sometimes get new coaches teaching different ways to catch the ball, how to run properly,” continued Demore. “It’s a lot of fun seeing how guys are getting better and better. I know a lot of these kids from Mini Mac and they’ve gotten a lot, lot better.”
Talkative by nature, Demore hopes to carry that style of inclusive leadership into his new position, recognizing that there remains much growth ahead as he prepares to enter high-school in the fall of 2025.
“I’ve had people tell me I am really good at telling people what to do – in a nice way,” he said with a smile. “I think I have a pretty good arm, but today is windy. I still think I am going to do pretty good – maybe a touchdown and no interceptions – hopefully.”
Of course, the fact that the likes of Bartolucci and Demore and the remaining dozens and dozens of young boys and girls who were enjoying a brilliant early September day of glorious sunshine with a sport they enjoy is largely due to the rallying crew that followed the tragic death of the man for whom the league is named, a police officer felled in the line of duty.
Few know the genesis of Joe Mac Football better than Randy Stevens, a man who gave 25 years of his life as a coach in the league and now continues to be involved as an official, a role he has enjoyed for roughly a dozen seasons or so.
“It’s still hard, it still hurts; he’s my best friend,” said Stevens, discussing his Opening Day presentation to all players, coaches, parents and fans, ensuring that the former Sudbury Spartans’ lineman who was a force to be reckoned with from his days with the Lasalle Lancers and through to his NFC career is never forgotten.
“From tragedy can come good things,” said Stevens, recalling the events of October 7th (1993) when Joe MacDonald would pass, far too young. “As a result of the Joe MacDonald Youth Football League, there is a rebirth of football in Sudbury.”
One need not look much further than six junior high-school teams and an equal number of senior entries to corroborate Stevens’ statement. SDSSAA featured just a three-team loop in 1993, with one squad (Paris Street Blues) comprised of a student athletes from a few different schools simply to make a league viable.
This fall will see roughly 27 girls flag football teams participating in the action, with the newly-formed Laurentian Voyageurs side a part of the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Association, a pathway for young women who want to maintain their involvement with the sport through to the post-secondary ranks.
Throw in the solid ground on which both the Spartans and Jr Spartans now sit, partly due to the work of Sudbury Wolves Sports & Entertainment stepping forward to provide financial assistance to the teams and it’s clear to see that “rebirth” is a safely used term, given the current Sudbury football environment.
“I see the smile and the excitement of the players and the excitement of the parents and grandparents and friends who come out and support them,” said Stevens. “The love of football is why I come out and do it.”
“I hope they are all very appreciative of what the league does to support football in Sudbury.”
Because that is indeed a tribute that would make Joe MacDonald proud.
