IRSC Bisons Football Building Culture, Community in Inaugural Season
In its inaugural season, the Iron Ridge Secondary Campus (IRSC) Bisons football program's success is being measured in something other than the simple score sheet and standings. This year, it's about building character, identity and culture, not just for the team and its players, but for the school itself.
“That’s our foundation. Through that, we’re creating great citizens in the school and community, and the community has rallied around us,” said head coach and IRSC Assistant Principal Joe McQuay. “At our first game, the turnout of our own fans was amazing. After that, we even had 10 more students sign up to play, because they saw what we’re building.”
Iron Ridge Secondary Campus is only in its second year as a school, and in the first year, there wasn’t a Grade 12 class or a football team.
This year is different.
There is a buzz in the school around its growth, not just for the graduation stage still to come, but for the gridiron each week.
“Students have something to look forward to every week,” said McQuay. “After our first game, our online store sales spiked because people wanted to wear the colours. Even on Facebook, where new schools often get tough criticism, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Football has become a rallying point.”
Although some have previous experience in minor football, many of the players on the Bisons have not suited up for football before. McQuay admits that it creates a learning curve for coaches and players.
“We balance classroom learning with high-tempo practices. Kids learn the concepts inside first, then on the field, we push for game-like reps. We model practices after elite post-secondary programs but modify drills to meet our players where they’re at,” he said. “But from the first game to now, the growth has been huge.”
The Bisons have played three games, with Red Deer’s Great Chief Park as their home field for this season. In the league, there are tough, long-standing and historically successful school programs that the Bisons are up against.
“The kids know the history of these programs; they see it on social media, and they’re aware we’re the newest team by about 30 years. But we take that as motivation,” said McQuay. “We’re still young. Even with a couple of Grade 12s, most of the roster will be back next year, which means we’re building something sustainable.”
McQuay underscored that in building a program from the ground up, in a new high school, it’s program growth and player development and creating strong student role models that will be the true success this season and beyond.
“If in five years we’ve built the numbers and kept that positive culture, we’ll be a competitive team in the league,” he said. “But honestly, if we’re still building school and community culture through football, that’s already a win for us.
The Bisons will face Notre Dame 4:00 pm on October 3rd at Great Chief Park.