Close to 100 players will hit the practice field this weekend for the Okanagan Sun annual Spring football camp.

Many returning players along with high school graduates from around the Okanagan, B.C. and the Prairies will try and impress the coaching staff and get an invitation to the club's main training camp this summer.

Sun head coach, Jay Christensen says even with 49 players returning from last years club, he expects a very competitive camp.

"We were a young football team last year and even with the amount of returning players, there are still a lot of starting positions up for grabs," says Christensen.

"Those positions have to be filled. We tell the young players coming in that they have every opportunity to compete for a starting position."

Christensen says there are starting positions up from grabs on the both the offensive and defensive lines, in the secondary and at receiver.

"There's a great crop of young players coming in from the high school ranks this year, so it should be a really competitive camp."

The competition is not restricted to the playing field.

Both Nanaimo and Calgary are holding spring camps this weekend. Christensen says the competition for those players has been getting tougher.

"We used to be the only team that recruited beyond our borders because at the time we had no high school football presence. Other teams are trying to mimic our success, so they're going out a little bit more across the country to places they may not have gone before."

Despite the success of the Nanaimo franchise over the past three years, Christensen says the longevity of the Sun program continues to be their strongest weapon.

"Players know of our success and so do high school coaches around the country. It's not a gamble when you come here. We're going to be competitive and I think it is still a guessing game elsewhere."

He says historically, good teams in the BCFC tend to come and go.

"Historically there has always been another team or two in the BCFC that will rise up and compete with us for three, four or five year and then drop off as their directors or ownership change. Nanaimo is doing a great job right now and for competition and the strength of our program, I would like to see that last and continue on."

Spring camp will take place on the east field at the Apple Bowl Saturday and Sunday.

Players take the field Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon and 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Sunday workouts go from 10 a.m. until 11:30, with a scrimmage to follow.