At just 15 years old, Braeden Sinclair has earned a spot with Football Manitoba.
Despite only playing the sport for three years, Sinclair has already made a big impact. His football career began with the Eastman Raiders, and he quickly fell in love with the game.
“Just everything in general. The team play and just playing for myself too. Just making myself a better person and people around me too.”
His rapid growth and success on the field has made his mother, Raelynn Unger, very proud.
“I've just seen where he's come from and how far he has grown and matured and just how much this has helped him so much as an individual.”
Unger says the entire experience has been an unexpected but exciting ride.
“Well, you just see his God-given talents that God has completely given him. It's unbelievable to see it explode the way it did. When we started with football, we didn't expect the journey to be as wild as it has been in three years. It's been a lot of travel and a lot of fun and a lot of goodness.”
Sinclair recently tried out for a chance to represent Manitoba in the U17 Western Challenge, and made the team.
“I feel really good about it,” he says. “I know I was kind of nervous when it came to tryouts. There was a lot of other good receivers there and there was a lot of good people and just players in general. So I was kind of nervous about that, but it was a reliever when I found out that I made the football team.”
He will now join 39 other athletes in Kelowna, British Columbia, where they will compete in Regionals from July 6-12 .
“We're playing BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan there. And it's just a big tournament there for a week.”
Travelling and playing in the tournament comes with costs, and Unger says they’re working to fundraise.
“We're trying to fundraise. We're just asking for donations and support, for sponsors, for any bit of fundraising, any bit helps.”
Those who wish to contribute to Sinclair’s journey can contact Football Manitoba at 204-925-5771 or send an e-transfer to finance@footballmanitoba.com.
“Then have it under his name. So, then it goes into his escrow account,” she says. “It'll automatically come off of his registration then.”
As for what’s next, Sinclair has big dreams.
“I'm hoping to be in the NFL or CFL or go to university. I know I'm going to university after high school. U of M or somewhere in Canada, or even better, in America somewhere. That's my goal. Just go from there and just kind of see where it goes, and if it doesn't go, then it's just what it is, but I want to go pro, CFL or NFL one day.”
With files from Corny Rempel
