LIVING THE DREAM: Black River resident prepping for Football Canada Cup in Wolfville

The 17-year-old Black River resident will suit up for Team Nova Scotia when the Football Canada Cup comes to Acadia University’s Raymond Field July 8-14. The elite, eight-team tournament was last hosted in Wolfville in 2010.

“The Football Canada Cup is a really exciting event because it allows next-level coaches and recruiters, as well as players themselves, the chance to see how the best players from across the country compare as they compete against one another,” said junior national team head coach Steve Sumarah in a press release announcing the tournament’s return to Wolfville.

“The experience of playing in the tournament also gives players a taste of how post-secondary teams like those at the junior or university level prepare for competition with an extended and intensive training camp.”

For Chappus , it’s an opportunity to share the field with the top U-18 talent in the country.

“It’s the last team you can play for before university, so it’s kind of like a giant scouting camp,” said Chappus , a Grade 11 student at Horton High School in Greenwich.

“This is where coaches can go to see the best players in each province.”

Chappus is excited to represent the home team at the Canada Cup. He believes the team will benefit from the energy that comes from playing in front of a hometown crowd.

“You’ve already got the sport down, so it’s mostly about getting in the best shape that you can and bonding with your team, making sure that everyone knows what their job is,” he said.

“Once I made the provincial team I started working out a lot more, now four days a week usually.”

Chappus has already received some invites to university camps leading into his third season with the provincial team. He recently received the most valuable defensive player award for his performance with Team Nova Scotia in the 2016 season.

Steve Melanson, who coaches with the Horton Griffins and the provincial team, describes Chappus as an “all-around athlete.”

“He was the standout defensive lineman on our team last year. He’s been an all-star in the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation league for the last two years as a Grade 10 and a Grade 11,” said Melanson, noting that Chappus was clearly a force to be reckoned in the U17 category at the national Spalding Cup tournament in Montreal last year.

“He’s been a very driven young man to play at that level. He just excels when he’s on the football field.”

Chappus believes the direction he’s received from his coaches since he first donned a football helmet for the Valley Bulldogs eight years ago has a lot to do with how far he’s come as a player.

“It’s a really mental game. You can teach someone to play football, but you really need the mental awareness to understand what the other team is doing and be able to react in less than a second,” he said, crediting his coaches with helping him gain a solid understanding of when to follow his instincts, and when to exercise patience.

A defensive end, Chappus is tasked with making quick decisions in an effort to disrupt the opposing team’s attempts at gaining momentum with offensive plays.

“I love the contact of it. You can really make plays in that position and I have a lot of responsibility,” he said.

“Basically you cover all of the outside runs.”

Due to the fact that football is both mentally and physically challenging, Chappus said a lot of long-lasting friendships are formed as a result of the camaraderie on the field.

“I just love the sport,” he said.