St Jean played host to the 5th annual Canadian Challenge. As usual, seven on seven flag football was the name of the game this weekend, with the exception of the Canada vs U.S. (nine-man contact) exhibition match-up. Participating teams included ones from rural Quebec, Jacksonville Florida, Ontario, and even Mexico, all adding a nice blend of cultures to this enjoyable event. Alhough I had played in this tournament before, the 2004 incarnation was a bit more special for me as I was given the opportunity to represent Canada on one of our three all-star teams.

Touch Football Ontario executives, led by Russ Henderson, came up with one hell of an idea when they were debating over how to best represent Canada on the international stage. It was decided that TFO would use this Montreal/ St Jean Canadian Challenge tournament as the proving grounds for 45 of the best players in Ontario and Quebec. Three teams, filled with the very best players from the elite division of Touch Football Ontario, were set to be unleashed in St Jean, all looking to crack the looming team Canada squad. Unfortunately, not every player selected was able to make the trek, leaving our three teams looking somewhat skeletal. Thankfully, tournament organizers, most notably Fred Lachance, allowed our three squads to borrow players from each other.

We would eventually strip down to two full squads Sunday morning, making our two teams the competitive forces they were designed to be. This player shuffling wound up being a godsend for me. Not only did it offer my battered body the luxury of playing one-way ball, it allowed me to play along side more of the talented individuals that I had been playing against all these years. The All Stars who partook in this event were out there to prove their National team worth. This desire, coupled with ridiculous talent, lead to some highly impressive on field performances. Whether it was crazy laterals or jaw dropping catches, one thing was certain, selecting a National team from this bunch isn’t going to be an easy task.

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