Highland Touch Football League
and
Touch Football FUNdamentals
2006-2014
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The HTFL was established in
Antigonish in 2006 with the goal of
providing a fun, exciting game to an
adult population otherwise not able to
access the game of football.
Beginnings were humble and had small
numbers.
6 people at initial workshop
First HTFL Skills Clinic
HTFL Teaching
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Worked with Phys. Ed. Classes at JHG,
Antigonish East, SAREC and Richmond
Academy.
Had first officials clinic in 2008 (games
prior to this were self-officiated)
Junior High Jamboree
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2009-2011
SRSB schools involved
Primary goal was to include rural
schools with no football programs or
experience
Focus on core skills and scrimmages
Later jamborees were all inclusive
Girls High School Touch
Football 2009
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Teaching (1 week of phys. Ed classes)
Initally involved JHG & EA
Now encompasses SAREC and St.Mary’s
Community Fundraising Activity
Games raised $3600 for
Cancer Survivors since 2009
StFX and the HTFL
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In 2009, StFX opened its new turf field.
MOU with town of Antigonish made the field accessible
to community groups.
Intramurals had a need for football officials
In exchange for field use, the HTFL conducted an
officials clinic and introduction to the game.
HTFL has provided officiating for StFX for the past 5
years
Instruction at University Level
– (two classes for Football 1) Intro Touch Football and Officiating
StFX Intramurals
StFX Intramurals 2009
Fall 2009 League
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The opening of the HTFL Fall 2009 fall
season saw 24 people show up to play!
50% new members
HTFL Summer Championship 2007
GO (girls only) Touch Football
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Successful Girls High School Jamboree
held in 2010 & 2014
Format similar to Jr. High Jamborees
Core skills and scrimmages/mini-games
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Platform to get league started for Fall
of 2014
Much positive feedback from
participants
JAGAS Touch Football
JAGAS Touch Football
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2011-2014 (ongoing)
League based play between schools
– Only large group co-ed sport offered in SRSB
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Runs mid-April to mid-May culminating with
tournament to play for Banner
Some rule modifications to facilitate play
and skills
– Play across field
– Smaller ball (TDY or TDJ)
– No punting
FUNdamentals
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FUNdamentals was launched in 2013 with
the idea of introducing basic skills to youth
aged 8-12.
Partnered with Service Learning at StFX
No teams, or games, just fun and core skills
LTAD compliant (TDJ balls)
 Running routes, catching, throwing, kicking
 Scrimmage introduced on last day.
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Last day– with X-men!
FUNdamental Lesson Plans
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Each week a “theme” or core skill was introduced.
The session started with a warm-up fun game
Weekly skill introduced via ‘stations’ or ‘drills’ with
StFX education students
Brief “chalk-talk” with HTFL staff on terms,
definitions
– Allowed StFX students to set up next game/station.
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Second skill station
Fun game to end night.
7:00-7:05
7:05-7:10
7:10-7:20
7:20-7:25
Circle football freeze tag– “it”tags players to
freeze them. 2 footballs in play– roll the
football between legs of frozen player to
unfreeze them.
```Things`` Game (Ship shape):
-students move randomly in an enclosed space
-when a leader yells out one of the things the
students have to move to that shape as quickly as
possible
-who ever is first gets to yell the next shape
Shapes:
-line of scrimmage: flat on the ground, arms and
legs stretched out in a line
-football: curled up in a ball on the ground
-quarterback: balance 1 foot, arm drawn back as if
you were going to throw
-referee: lunging with both arms in the air
-uprights: back on the ground, arms and legs
90degrees in the air to make a U-shape
Line Tag
-Poly spots on the ground, creating lines and paths
-story about LAVA
-players and taggers have to stay on the safety
stones and avoid the lava and the taggers
-add balls to be tossed in, this means they can`t be
tagged
-**walking
Brian N and Glen: Introduce some positions QB and
Centre
Sample Lesson #1
7:25-7:30
7:30-7:45
Unpack Line Tag and Intro next activity
-theme 1: Move to space
-theme 2: make a move to avoid the defender
(tagger)
-talk about why is this important???!!!!
Running T-Routes
-set up 5 cones in a cross
-players run from the long cone and then
choose which way they want to receive a pass
(north south east west)
-coach throws a ball
-add a defender
-players should try and a) read the defender
and go away from them
b) make a move to lose them (move to space,
make a move)
-check in on cencepts!
7:45-7:50
Line Tag
-same as before, looking for changes in
performance, moving to space
7:50-8:00
Simon Says
-coach led
-get a feeling for the group, this is their last
chance to run for the night
-if they are tired take it easy, if not let them GO
NUTS 
7:05
7:15
7:25
Warm up: Everyone
is it tag
-Everyone is It
-When you get tagged, you
penguin walk out of the
circle
- and have to hold a stretch
for 10 seconds
Relay Race: Throwing -Even split kids and big kids
-Race: Across the field, with
Questions: What is the the ball; no running with
fastest way to get
the ball; have to throw it;
across the field? (More everyone must touch the
ball
than one way?)
-Options: Length of the
If someone doesn’t
field, only throw overhand,
throw as far what
no dropped balls
should you do?
Teaching:
Teaching Points for
Throwing
-Brian and Glenn Talk shop
Teaching points for throwing:
-fingers on the laces, pointer
finger on the back line of the
ball
-hold the ball in your favorite
hand
-opposite foot forward
-bring the ball back behind your
ear
-shift weight forward, bring
throwing arm across the body
-flick the wrist and finish
pointing at the target
Lession #2
7:35
7:45
7:50
Practice: Toss,
-kids just throw to a
Build to Step Back partner and coaches
come to correct position
-Then the back up
challenge: every time the
2 passes are completed
they can take a step
back, see how far back
you can get
Relay Race
-Revisit the relay race
-Make it hard
What do you think
the best way to get
across the field?
Was this time
faster? Why?
Mini Game
-Split in to 4 groups
-have the kids take turns
being QB
-the have to have a
huddle and make a play
every time
-GOAL shared leadership
between the kids
Keys to Success
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Idea to Reality
– Worked with Town Recreation
Tricia Cameron
 Got field usage, insurance and advertising
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– Worked with Schools
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Mary Beth McCarron, Glenn Austen & Aaron Neaves
– Worked with StFX
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Gary Waterman, Dan Robinson, Joe DeCoste &
Richie Connors
Keys to Success
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Turf Field at StFX/Central Turf
– Huge boost to membership and player
enjoyment
– Symbiosis with Intramurals
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HTFL gained players and StFX got referees
- Ability to play in adverse weather
conditions allowed formation of Spring
League
Future Plans
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Continue working with youth
– Football FUNdamentals will start its 3rd year this fall
– LTAD principles
– JAGAS & Girls high school league
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Continue to attract new players/officials
– Partnering with StFX
– Membership has gone from 6 to 80+ active members
– JAGAS/GO has introduced ~400 students to the game
Thanks for your attention