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The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year

Winners Earn Thousands of Dollars in New Equipment and The Home Depot gift cards for their Community and High School Football Programs

Stay tuned for 2010 program information and submission deadlines.

Recognize a high school, community or varsity coach (all Canadian under 19 tackle football coaches are eligible) and win thousands of dollars worth of equipment, not to mention The Home Depot gift cards, for the coach's program.

Whether you are a football player who wants to say 'Thank You' to your former coach, or a parent/fan/fellow volunteer who wants to recognize a selfless member of your commuunity, we want to hear your story.

One national winner will earn $5,000 of equipment and a $1,000 The Home Depot gift card (for 'football program renovation' projects, such as field repair, fixing bleachers, painting a locker room, etc. -- also includes project assistance from local The Home Depot associates).

Two runners-up will earn $2,000 each and a $500 The Home Depot gift card.

Each short-listed coach will receive a $100 The Home Depot gift card.

2009 winnner Bruce Waddell is from Shoal Lake, Manitoba:

Football in rural Manitoba received a solid boost when the Parkwest Outlaws volunteer head coach and local veterinarian Bruce Waddell received the 2009 The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year award.

The Outlaws, who play 9-man high school football, draw players from three rural schools (Shoal Lake, Birtle and Russell). The program received $5,000 in new football equipment and a $1,000 The Home Depot gift card for football-related renovation projects.

"This award has been the greatest honour of my life, and has had a very positive effect on our program," said Waddell. "The kids who participate are so dedicated - coming from farms that are miles and miles away -- this has really put some wind in their sails."

Waddell said that after consultation with a parent advisory board it was determined to use the Home Depot credit to build an elevated announcers/spotters booth (from which the scoreboard would hang) for the home field and to refurbish a concessions shack. It was also determined that the equipment credit from the NFL would go towards purchasing 12 new concussion-limiting helmets, goal-post pads, game pants and helmet decals.

"As soon as we announced our plans we had local businesses step up to offer siding and drill footings," added Waddell. "We are looking forward to a great year."

More than 500 coaches from across Canada were nominated by players, volunteers, fans, administrators and fellow coaches. Nominators were asked to consider how their coach taught respect, safety, motivation, leadership and appreciation for the game of football.

Waddell was formally recognized at the 2009 Desjardins Vanier Cup Coach's breakfast in Quebec City, which gave the volunteer coach a chance to connect with the coaches from university programs across Canada (crucial for a rural area that doesn't often get scouted -- the more Parkwoods players move on to University football, the more popular the program becomes).

The Outlaws 2010 season begins with practices in mid August. Eight games are played in September and October, with the league championship taking place on November 6.

"Building a football tradition in a sparsely populated rural area, where the players drive for miles to get to practice after doing farm chores, is a challenge for any volunteer coach," said Elaine Masur, a Shoal Lake football parent in a nomination essay. "Yet Bruce Waddell has taken this on and is unfailingly dedicated to it. Our team, farm boys, town boys and first nations boys, have all learned about commitment and co-operation from a man who lives what he teaches."

In 2006, the NFL expanded the High School Coach of the Year program to include all youth amateur football coaches. This fall, as in year's past, we are looking to recognize high school or community coaches who inspire young football players and who have demonstrated a long-term commitment to coaching football. The 2010 The Home Depot NFL Youth Coach of the Year will be announced and recognized during Vanier Cup week.

Football fans, parents, community members, Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and CEGEP players are all encouraged to log on to NFLCanada.com and nominate a coach.

The award, run in conjunction with the Vanier Cup and in its tenth year, is not based on wins and losses, but rather on recognizing coaches who positively impact the lives of their players and make significant contributions to the game of football.

Nomination Form