2005 Coaching Award - Bruce Haddow

RICHMOND COACH NAMED RUNNER-UP FOR NATIONAL

NFL/CFL HIGH SCHOOL COACHING AWARD

NFL, CFL & Hitachi award $2,000 in football equipment to

Hugh Boyd Secondary School

TORONTO, ON - The National Football League and Canadian Football League today named BRUCE HADDOW runner-up for the NFL/CFL High School Coach of the Year award.

The football program at Hugh Boyd SS (where Haddow is Coach) will receive $2,000 in new Wilson & Riddell football equipment as part of the award.

"Coach Haddow has had a positive impact on a lot of young football players in Richmond, and the NFL and CFL are proud to recognize that," said JAY SWEENEY, Director, Events and Fan Development, NFL Canada. "Coach Haddow's enthusiasm for football and dedication to giving players a chance to play also deserve to be recognized."

Chuck Wakefield from Central Technical School in Toronto was also named by the NFL and CFL as a runner-up to Jeff Yanchus, who coaches at John F. Ross in Guelph, ON. Along with being named NFL/CFL High School Coach of the Year, Yanchus receives $5,000 in new equipment for the football program at John F. Ross.

The award, run in conjunction with the Desjardins Vanier Cup and now in its seventh year, is not based on wins and losses, but rather on recognizing coaches who have positively impacted the lives of their players and made significant contributions to the game of football. Only graduates who are currently playing CIS or CEGEP football can nominate coaches for this award.

Acadia University football player CHRIS CARTWRIGHT, a Hugh Boyd grad, nominated Haddow for the award. For drafting the runner-up nomination, Cartwright has earned an additional $1,000 in funding for the Acadia football program. A panel of NFL, CFL and Desjardins Vanier Cup officials, as well as football journalists from across Canada, selected the winners.

"I would just like to thank Coach Haddow for everything he has done for me," said Cartwright in his submission essay. "If it wasn't for his hard work on and off the field, there would be no football at Hugh Boyd, and I wouldn't be where I am now."

To nominate a coach, CIS football players from across Canada were asked to submit a short essay recognizing the positive impact their former high school coach has had on students, both on and off the field. Players were asked to explain how their coach taught respect, player safety, motivation, leadership and appreciation for the sport. Nominations were judged on how well these criteria were expressed.

"Coaches can inspire greatness on and off the field," said Joe Ragonese, Marketing Communications Manager, Hitachi Canada. "We at Hitachi believe strongly in this, whether you're inspiring the next great talent or the next technological breakthrough."

Hitachi is a leader in home electronics in Canada. Hitachi's consumer product offerings include projection televisions, plasma televisions, DVD camcorders, DVD players and VCR's. Visit us on the web at www.hitachi.ca.

The NFL and CFL work together to support the game of football at the grassroots level in Canada. Another grassroots initiative is Reebok NFL/CFL Flag Football Canada, an elementary in-school phys-ed program, currently active in more than 1,300 schools.

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For further information, please contact:

Brian Findlay