BONNYVILLE – In mid-January, Bonnyville-native Ducan Critch received some long-awaited news he had been hopping for – an offer to play football on the University of Alberta’s Golden Bears team.
Critch will join a handful of other Bonnyville and area players that have made the roster for the Golden Bears' football team, such as former Bonnyville Voyageur Blake Adams.
Over the years, Critch has spent many summers attending various football camps including some that have been organized by the U of A.
This has given him the opportunity to meet and learn from a handful of coaches and staff from the University.
“They have always shown interest and hinted towards stuff like that, so there was some slight idea,” Critch admits. “But ultimately, I didn't want to assume anything.”
When he got the call earlier this month, he felt both excited and relieved to have received the offer to play as a Golden Bear.
The 17-year-old typically plays the position of running back or slot receiver, but Critch suspects that next year on the field with the U of A, he will be likely playing as a tailback.
“It was a position I (have) wanted to play since I was little. It's been my home for the last eight years in football and I'm confident in my abilities there and I'm confident and what I can achieve in that spot,” he said. “I find that is the best spot for me on the field.”
Although Critch had looked at some American schools and junior programs in Edmonton, nothing seemed like quite the right fit. So, when the offer came to play for the Golden Bears and attend classes at the U of A, it was an easy yes for Critch and his family.
Critch said the school's closeness to home and its academic reputation is why it felt like the right place to be.
When the news of Critch’s commitment broke, very few were as pleased with the decision as his father.
“(My dad) was probably the most excited one just because he likes me not far from home and he likes being able to watch games and be able to see me more often than not,” Critch expressed.
“I love my dad and he wishes for the best opportunities for me always. That's where the education standpoint came from because my dad has always said, ‘If you're going to go somewhere with a sport, you need to make sure you have an education because athletics are great, but they're not forever and you always need to have a plan just in case’.”
Heeding his father’s advice, Critch plans to enroll in the U of A’s Bachelor of Education program with a major in Social Studies and a minor in English.
“I’ve been told I needed to become a teacher from prior teachers and prior family friends. I decided to listen to them for once and maybe see how it goes,” he smiled, adding his second choice would be to pursue a business degree.
Independence in the pursuit of football
As a young kid who once dreamed of being a baseball player, Critch has come a long way not only in his pursuit of football, but through his dedication to the sport and his commitment to doing what is necessary to achieve his long-term goals.
“The ultimate goal is to play as long as I possibly can. It doesn't matter if that ends with youth sports or if that ends in the CFL or the NFL or any other leagues besides U sports. It's just to play it as long as I can and try to make a career out of it,” he said.
At 16 years old, Critch made the decision to move away from home to dedicate more time and focus to football. He is now completing his final year of high school at St. Joseph Catholic High School in Grande Prairie.
For his last season of high school football, Critch proudly wears a green and white Celtics jersey along with a handful of his other teammates that will also be joining the Golden Bears roster next year.
Critch knew that in order to fully commit to his development in football, he needed to be in the right environment surrounded by the right teammates. That’s why Critch asked his parents if he could relocate and transfer schools for his Grade 11 and 12 years.
“It was the culture and the people I knew here,” explained Critch speaking to Lakeland This Week from his second home in Grande Prairie.
“Before I moved here, I didn't know anything about the team. I didn't know how successful they were, I barely knew any of the coaching staff. I just moved here because I had friends here that shared the same passion that I did.”
During his last year playing in for the Bonnyville Bandits Football League prior to starting high school, Critch competed against players he now plays alongside.
“I actually played (against) these kids in a Provincial final and lost in the final seconds to them,” he said thinking back. “That's when our families met.”
The following summer, Critch would meet some of the same players again when he joined the Football Alberta U16 team.
"Our families bonded even more then and through COVID we stayed connected and ended up going to camps and such. It was always my silver helmet amongst all the green because I was such great friends with them.”
It was while playing for the Football Alberta team that Critch made the decision to move away.
“By being around people who share the same passion as you, it's going to drive and motivate you to be better than your peers – in friendly competitions, of course,” he said. “So, it was more of a move for myself to be happier (and) be in a better spot mentally and physically to prepare for what I needed to do in life.”
With the Celtics Football team, Critch has seen two championship wins in 2021 alone. The Celtics took the 2021 Peace Bowl Championship and were also the 2021 Provincial Tier II Champions.
This year, Critch is also playing with his younger brother Connor who followed in his footsteps and made the decision to play for the Celtics for his last two years of high school as well.
Asked if his youngest brother Luke was also to follow his football journey westward, he said, “That's his choice, but I don’t think my parents really want to talk about the last one leaving quite yet.”
When considering his brothers’ own football goals, Critch hopes they take his successes and use it as a motivation to be even better than he is.
"To be better than me, and the mental aspects be better than me, in the physical aspects, in the game aspect. And I just hope that whatever they want, that they get the benefit of the things I have done – I hope that they don't see it as a cloud or shade overtop of them.”
For anyone making moves towards a big dream, Critch offers some advice: “For people who are going to go through the scouting process, just always have an open mind. Always take in everything a coach has to say, even if you're not thinking about going to that school or that place to play whatever sports you're so good at to be recruited. Just always keep an open mind, always listen because you can learn different things from different people.”
And if you’re going to move away, he says have a goal and a plan, so you don’t get homesick.
A message from Mom and Dad
Steve and I (Serena Critch) are incredibly proud of Duncan. He made the difficult decision to leave home to pursue his goals - and to date, has reached all the goals he has set for himself.
Steve has always said Duncan is a different kind of animal. He has always excelled and proven this, on the field and off. We cannot wait for the 2022 season to begin, as we expect it to be an amazing season for Duncan and his brother Connor and Liam.
