Future of Prince George junior football team in jeopardy after coach fired, players quit
CBC
Does junior football have a future in Prince George?
That question hangs over the Prince George Kodiaks ahead of their annual general meeting Wednesday night, amid leadership upheaval, financial pressures and questions whether the team can field a roster this season.
“This is going to be a hard recovery for the team,” former team linebacker Caiden Crow told CBC's Daybreak North ahead of the March 25 meeting.
The junior football franchise has been in turmoil since it fired its head coach and director of football operations, Jamie Boreham, in late February.
Boreham, a former CFL player, was let go months after he led the Kodiaks to their first-ever playoff berth and was named national coach of the year.
The decision triggered a public outcry and a series of board resignations, including the team’s president, vice president and treasurer.
"The decisions made were not taken lightly and were guided by a responsibility to protect the long-term future of the program, our athletes, and the community we serve," the team said in a statement announcing the decision.
An online petition has been circulating to reinstate Boreham.
Ryan Bellamy, who was on Boreham’s coaching staff and is now the team’s interim general manager, said the Kodiaks rely on sponsorships and community support as a non-profit organization.
It’s been tough economic times for local businesses, he said, and the board’s motion to dismiss Boreham was carried by a majority vote in a silent ballot.
“There was some financial shortcomings that weren’t expected for the team last season,” Bellamy said.
“Their choice at that point in time was what they had in front of them.”
The Kodiaks play in the B.C. Football Conference and have the highest travel costs in the seven-team league, on top of paying staff salaries and other equipment and facility expenses.
The team’s closest opponent is six hours away in Kamloops, and they play against teams in Kelowna, Chilliwack, Langley, Victoria and Nanaimo.
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