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Local football player has CFL aspirations

For Kaedann Price, playing the high-contact sport of football is a stress reliever.

For Kaedann Price, playing the high-contact sport of football is a stress reliever.

The sport that some cringe at while watching the frequent points of impact continues to draw the young athlete in as his career progresses.

“It’s healthy to get that frustration out by joining a contact sport,” said Price.

He added that all kids should play some type of sport as it can also boost your self-esteem. “It really keeps you on your toes,” he said.

Price, 15, of Lacombe County, has been participating in sports throughout his life. He first began playing pond hockey but made the switch to football three years ago.

“It turns out I was just better at it,” he said. “I was a bigger kid, so playing football really helped my self-esteem.”

Price started out playing with the Lindsay Thurber Junior Raiders in Grade 8 and received the prestigious 2012 Lineman of the Year Award.

He has been a starter for the Raiders’ senior team from Grade 10 until present. Since the Raiders season doesn’t ramp up until the fall, in the meantime Price channels his love of football into playing with the Prairie Fire Football Club, a Central Alberta-based high-level midget football team.

He’s played with the spring league team since 2013 as an offensive tackle. He has also tried out and made the Central Zone Football team, which competed at the 2014 Alberta Summer Games.

Among intensive training and playing with various teams, playing football takes a lot of determination and hard work, said Price. “It takes a lot of work, conditioning and mental skills, like learning plays,” he said. “You have to be tough, as you play in rain, snow, sunshine and everything.”

Price is currently attending tryouts for the U18 Provincial Team. The tryouts began on April 19th and are ongoing throughout the month. He also has aspirations to play in the CFL, college ball or the NFL in the future.

“After Grade 12, I want to attend and play for the University of Calgary,” said Price.

He also hinted that he’s heard word that football may be considered an Olympic sport at some point, so perhaps an Olympic gold medal is also in his future.

Price and the Prairie Fire Football Club played their season home opener at ME Global Athletic Park in Lacombe this past Friday against the Calgary Hilltoppers.

They will be returning to Lacombe to defend their home turf against the Falcons on April 25th at 1 p.m.

news@lacombeexpress.com