Chatham-Kent Cougars Celebrating Success With Upcoming Alumni Classic
Next weekend, the Chatham-Kent Cougars will hold their first ever Alumni Classic, an event which the growing organization is touting as bringing a big game football feel to Chatham-Kent, as well as a showcase of the excellent athletes participating in Cougars football.
Featuring three games Sunday, as well as indoor tailgating, halftime performances, and giveaways, the event is aiming to bring together the Chatham-Kent sporting community, and to celebrate the tradition and relationships the Cougars football program have developed since it was founded in 2006.
“We have a very good relationship with our players as a coaching staff,” said Varisty Cougars receiver coach, and Director of Media Relations and Special Events, Andrew Harvey. “We took on the philosophy of a “Brotherhood” and that we all must trust each other. In saying this – when a player leaves the organization, there is always that connection and respect outside of football. In doing an event like this, it is paying hommage to those players we once worked with. It is also giving our program much exposure in the community and giving the people of Chatham-Kent an opportunity to see what Cougar football is all about.”
The first game of the day will begin at 12:30pm as the Bantam Cougars take on Huronia, followed by the JV Cougars at 4pm against Twin Cities, and last the evening highlight of the Varsity Chatham-Kent Cougars battling Twin Cities at 7:30pm under the lights. All games are on the back campus of CKSS at the Chatham-Kent Athletic Complex.
Many of the celebrations Sunday will focus on the football fan experience, including an indoor tailgating event at Blazin BBQ, in which the first 50 fans to visit Blazin BBQ will receive a free drink and an admission ticket to the day’s games. As well, there will also be giveaways at the tailgate party and all those associated with the Cougars will get discounts. The real purpose behind the day, however, is to celebrate past and present Cougars, and to showcase the values and lessons being exemplified within the Cougars’ organization; starting with the Varsity Cougars’ “brotherhood” philosophy,
“The players have to trust what the coaches are teaching, and the coaches have to trust what the players are seeing and experiencing on the field. This is what spawned the Brotherhood philosophy in the Senior Varsity team in that we have to trust each other and work together to get to the place we want to be as a team. We hope in the seasons to come that this philosophy spills over to all levels of the Cougars, and we can build on this as a tightly knit organization in a tightly knit community.”
Without giving away too much, the Cougars organization wants to pump this one day event as one providing a “big game” feel for fans and that is promoting the athletic success of the Chatham-Kent Cougars. Although this is the first ever Cougars Alumni Classic, Coach Andrew Harvey, and others within the Cougars organization, are excited about the unique opportunity this event will provide to all of the entire Cougars organization,
“As an Executive Staff we hope this draws more attention to the football community in Chatham-Kent. There have always been very good athletes coming out of this community, but to give them the necessary exposure to get to the next level right from their hometown is paramount. Giving the community an opportunity to see some good football and also have a fun-filled day at the CK Athletic Complex is great for the organization and Chatham-Kent. It is another branch to which we can expose Chatham-Kent and show people what we have to offer as a community.”