But there is plenty of work to be done by Friends of Canton Football, a booster club of 20 parents, who said they want to raise $82,000 to fund the team for its first three seasons.
The Board of Education only endorsed fundraising effort on a 6-1 vote and did not commit to allowing a team to be fielded. Friends of Canton Football will return in six months with a fundraising progress report and looking for permission to fund a team in the fall of 2006. Plans call for a junior varsity team for two years with a varsity team in 2008.
The board was very concerned that the booster club would expect the school to take over funding of the team in year four (2009).
"The board was in no way comfortable talking about any (future) funding (of the team)," said chairman Larry Minichiello. "I think the message was loud and clear from the Board. We can't afford it.
"But we don't want to throw cold water on such enthusiasm and energy," he said. "If the parents have the enthusiasm and will power that is great. In all likelihood, the program will have to be financially self-sufficient."
Karl Grabowski, organizer of Friends of Canton Football, said the group would probably come to the school board in year four looking for some funding. "If the Board doesn't have the money, this group won't let the program die," he said. "This group will be there to stay with the program."
Grabowski said that parent booster clubs partially fund the football team at several schools including Ellington, Cromwell and St. Paul in Bristol.
"We feel pretty excited," Grabowski said. "We're taking this as a sign of approval to solicit funds."
Granby athletic director Mike McCarthy saw an article about the Board meeting in the Hartford Courant and called Canton athletic director Linda Cavanaugh Friday to express interest in a co-op program. Granby had previously explored a co-op program with East Granby.
Grabowski talked with McCarthy over the weekend and was enthusiastic about the idea of working with Granby. But Grabowski said a decision to co-op would be up to the Canton administration.
"Our stance is that we're raising money but the school is administrating the program," Grabowski said. "We're just the fund-raising arm. That is our role. The control rests with the school administration."
Grabowski said a proposal to use property owned by the Canton Volunteer Fire Department for the annual Lobster Festival on Canton Springs Road for a practice field has been submitted to the department.
The club has received just a one-year commitment from the town to use Bicentennial Park on River Road for a practice field. Town officials declined to extend that agreement past 2006 with potential expansion of the town garage and perhaps the sewage plant on the horizon.
A site for a game field would be necessary, especially if the booster club would be funding the team in the future. Game day receipts and money from food concession could be crucial to the program's budget.
A study by the Board of Selectmen on athletic fields throughout town is due within a month and that study has been considering a football field.
Canton High fielded a football team from 1934-60 and 1963-64 but it was discontinued due to a lack of players.
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