Simon Fraser University Head Football Coach Kelly Bates is wasting little time reaching out to connect with the football alumni, supporters, and high school football coaches in the Lower Mainland.
He is setting his sights on working to shape a new vision for the SFU “Clan” Football program for the school.The former BC Lion Coach, Canadian Draft coordinator and 11-year CFL vet, was named head coach of the Clan this past week.
March 5 will see him (Bates) and the Clan football alumni host a reception at the Segal Graduate School of Business at SFU’s downtown campus (500 Granville Street & West Pender).
This is where guests are welcome to come and discuss the future of the Clan football program and get answers to question that might be on your mind.
March 5, 2015, 6-8 PM
Segal Graduate School of Business
500 Granville StreetBates mentioned “The Simon Fraser University football program belongs to every student-athlete who ever wore the uniform and I want to take the time to get to know everyone and listen to what they have to say.”
Segal Graduate School of Business
500 Granville StreetBates mentioned “The Simon Fraser University football program belongs to every student-athlete who ever wore the uniform and I want to take the time to get to know everyone and listen to what they have to say.”
He continued “Together I believe we can make Clan football into a program that everyone is proud of, and a destination for the top high school football players in this country.””SFU is the only NCAA program in Canada, we play American competition, and we play four-down football, and this makes us different from every other university in Canada,” said Bates.
Along with a presentation from Bates and SFU athletics director Milton Richards, guests at the reception will hear from member of the football community.
This will include BC Lions Vice-President George Chayka player Dean Valli, New Westminster Secondary School head football coach, Farhan Lalji, and others.
The event will be MC’d by former SFU Clan Alumni and BC Lion Giulio Caravatta who is no stranger to talking football to anyone that is within ear-shot.”Since coming to BC, Kelly has made it a point of getting involved in our sport at the grass roots level and many coaches in BC have a strong sense of who he is, not because he was in the CFL, but because of his commitment to the sport in our province at all levels,” said Farhan Lalji, the head football coach at New Westminster Secondary School and broadcaster with TSN. “Kelly is real and he is trustworthy, and the coaches in BC see that. And if they haven’t seen it yet, they will soon.”
“My goal is to create a program where high school coaches in this province and in this country will feel good about recommending SFU to their athletes,” continued Bates. “We have a lot of work to do to win back the trust of the football community but we are going to do this right to ensure everyone feels good about the program again.”
Bates (39) is a native of Humboldt, SK, now resides in Coquitlam and becomes the 10th head coach in the history of the SFU football program.
He joined SFU after three seasons as a position coach and Canadian Draft coordinator with the BC Lions.The SFU football locker room is undergoing a major renovation to create an environment to better support the student athletes.
Clan alumni are spear-heading the Locker Room Scholarship Program and alumni can become involved by sponsoring an individual locker.
Special “thanks” to Steve Frost the Sports Information Director at SFU.
About Sportswave
Sportswave Productions is located in Delta, BC.
Sportswave promotes/broadcasts Amateur Sports within the Lower Mainland.
Sportswave Productions is owned and operated by Steve Erickson who has a long standing career within the broadcasting and refereeing for Minor League Sports in BC and across Canada.
Steve is recognized by his peers, associations, communities and colleagues for his endless contributions to multiple Amateur Sports within the Lower Mainland.
Steve was recognized as Volunteer of the Year Award by the Delta Chamber of Commerce in 2015 and inducted into the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017.
He was recognized by Ravi Kahlon, BC’s MLA Minister for Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation in September 11, 2017.
In December 2022 he was Awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Pin.
Awarded Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award for tangible for significant assistant given for the better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world.
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