For the fourth time in his career, a Grande Prairie high school football coach is heading to the Canada Cup. St. Joseph Celtics Head Coach Trevor Prichard has been named one of seven Assistant Coaches for the 2019 Team Alberta Under-18 team. Prichard has been coaching football for 20 years and says it feels good to be recognized.
“I think there were around 50 or 60 guys that applied this year and out of that they come up with a group of seven. I was pretty fortunate to come back again but also be recognized as one of the coaches throughout Alberta that has the capability of coaching at this level.”
The Canada Cup is played annually and features the most elite young football players in the world. Prichard has spent the last three years as Team Alberta’s defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. He says he sees this event as a way for him to work on his coaching skills.
“It’s about learning, it’s about getting better as a coach and trying to fine-tune your trade as well. Being able to not only rub elbows with some of the best coaches throughout Canada and Alberta but also being able to have the talent level that we have in Alberta at the high school level, makes you better.”
The new year will be a busy time for Prichard. Along with his St. Joes coaching duties, he will be heading to Edmonton in January to begin the U-18 selection process. The Football Canada Cup will be held in Kingston, Ontario in July 2019.