UNITY — One young Unity boy is still coming to terms with being named a provincial champion at the Pass, Punt, Kick competition held Oct. 19 in Saskatoon and Regina.
James Grant, a Grade 5 student at Unity Public School, has participated in the competition for the past three years. Each year, he has qualified to attend the regional competitions, and has reached provincials only twice. But for the first time, he was named the provincial champion for the 10 and Under Pass.
In Saskatoon, James said he competed against seven other boys in his age group, but he was unsure of how many competed in Regina.
“I was a little nervous to compete in Saskatoon, but when it came down to it, I just threw my hardest,” said the young man.
When asked if he has a secret to his passing abilities, SaskToday was told, “I take one big step, a shuffle and chuck that thing as hard as I can.”
James was able to throw the football a distance of 98 feet 7 inches, with the record for the longest throw at 99 feet in 2017 from a student in Regina. After the provincial winners are announced, they receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Regina, where they are presented with their championship plaques and a Roughriders jersey during the pre-game show at the Riders’ final home game. The champs also receive four tickets to the game.
For the young James, who is the son of Cole and Linda Grant, he is already looking forward to competing again next year and thinks there is a possibility of joining the local football teams in the future.
The Pass, Punt, Kick competition is run by Football Saskatchewan, with sponsorships from the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation and SaskTel, providing children with the opportunity to learn basic football skills and a chance to compete within their own age group on a province-wide basis.
