WELCOME TO THE 2023 SEASON!

Hopefully the snow will disappear fast, as we have work to do in 2023! Last year was a very successful year for all our programs. Our male U16 & & U18 provincial teams both won gold at nationals and our female U18 team won silver at nationals. This is a direct result of the time and commitment made by all our members and we thank you for your commitment and dedication to the sport of football, as well as developing Saskatchewan’s youth. For the 2023 season, we need your help to get all football players in Saskatchewan registered in the various programs so we can stay on top in the nation and continue to help develop players in our province. To register for any of the programs below, please visit www.footballsaskatchewan.ca and click on the registration tab.
 

INSURANCE UPDATE

Please note that Football Saskatchewan’s Liability insurance broker is AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. Being a member of Football Saskatchewan provides you with $10 MILLIONS DOLLARS in liability coverage. Accident insurance is also included for all members as well (except HS)! Our players in Saskatchewan haven’t been this well protected ever! These unprecedented new levels are needed to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches, support staffs, volunteer boards, and team members.

Now with that, we have received notice that our insurance is set to increase 260% in 2023. Unfortunately, as an organization we cannot absorb this massive increase and thus will be increasing affiliation rates for all levels in 2023. We are negotiating with our broker as we speak about other options (keeping in mind all the coverage benefits we have) and that percentage can potentially be reduced or spread out over a period of time.

The purpose of this update is to prepare everyone for affiliation increases in 2023 and potentially subsequent years as well. We will be sending a separate notice to all members once the finalized percentages come back to us shortly.

Kick off April with a weekend full of football! March 31 to April 2 will include the Football Sask Coaches Clinic, Combine, & Paul LaPolice’s ALLPRO camp!

FOOTBALL SASKATCHEWAN’S ANNUAL COACHES CLINIC

Football Saskatchewan’s Annual Coaches Clinic will be back IN-PERSON this year! The clinic will be held on March 31st & April 1st in Regina. Football Saskatchewan and the CFL & U Sports are working together to provide top quality coaches to present at this year’s clinic!

Remember to register as a FSCA member (Football Sask Coaches Association) before you register for the clinic, for a reduced rate of $100. $125 for non-members.

To register for the FSCA & clinic, please visit: https://app.teamlinkt.com/register/find/footballsaskatchewan

Please let your assistant coaches know about the clinic!!
 

SASKATCHEWAN COMBINE

The Saskatchewan Combine is an initiative by Football Saskatchewan to showcase the talent of players in grades 8, 9, 10, & 11 who are eligible for U16, U18 Male/Female Team Sask, & 6 Nations. Elite Coaches from U Sport and CJFL Programs will be in attendance assisting with the event. This combine will include athleticism and positional drills like NFL/CFL Combines. The combine includes all testing for Football Saskatchewan Programs; therefore, it is HIGHLY suggested that you have your players attend to measure their abilities against the best in the province!

ALLPRO QB & REC CAMP

Football Saskatchewan has partnered with Paul LaPolice’s ALLPRO camp again in 2023! The camp is open to all QBs & receivers in grades 6-12. Running backs who are interested in becoming better receivers are also encouraged to attend. Groups will be broken up by age and ability and the camp is being held at the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw on April 2nd. For more information and to register visit: https://www.allprocamp.com/

ANNUAL SENIOR BOWL

The 2023 Senior Bowl Event will consist of 1 game combining the three distinct games of Football played in the province. Coaching staffs will be made up from our elite team programs – U of R Rams, U of S Huskies, Regina Thunder, & Saskatoon Hilltops. Players will be selected from the Senior Bowl Selection Camps on April 22nd & 23rd in Saskatoon & Regina. Both teams will have a roster of 40 players and will practice and play in the 37th annual Senior Bowl May 26th-28th in Saskatoon.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT CAMPS

Player Development Camps have replaced the Skill ID Camps ran in the past by Football Saskatchewan. These camps will focus on player development through skills, drills, and technique and will not be a form of evaluations, but instead, for developing fundamentals as a football player. Elite coaches from U Sport, CJFL, & High School will be coaching at the PD Camps to ensure players get the most out of the camp.

PD Camps will run throughout the province in several locations. Dates, times, & locations are as follows:

Regina - April 10-13

Swift Current - April 22

North Battleford - April 22

Melville - April 23

Rosetown – April 23

Saskatoon – April 24-27

Melfort - April 29

6 NATIONS TEAM SASK

Players must be born in 2006, 2007, or 2008 to be eligible to play with our 6 Nations Team Sask. 

The 6 Nations Elite Development Camp was an excellent opportunity, as a placeholder, to showcase aboriginal talent and to develop the skills of young players in grades 9-12, until a tournament could be revived. In 2023, Football Saskatchewan will be participating in a one game, 6-a-side showcase against Alberta's 6 Nations team! The game will take place during the Male U18 Football Canada Cup in Edmonton, AB. The 2023 6 Nations Team Sask selection camp will be held in Saskatoon and the top 22 players selected from this camp will go on to compete against the 6 Nations Team Alberta in Edmonton, AB from July 6-9! To tryout, players must be nominated by their coach or school. Nomination forms (found online) need to be submitted to Football Saskatchewan and the coach & nominee will be contacted if they have been selected to participate in the selection camp. If selected, nominees will need to register online through our website. To access coach & player nomination forms, please visit our website at: www.footballsaskatchewan.ca/6nations.

MALE U16 TEAM SASKATCHEWAN

Players must be born in 2008 or 2009 to be eligible to play with our U16 Team Saskatchewan program.

The U16 Team Saskatchewan will be competing at the 2023 U16 Football Canada Western Challenge, July 4-8 in Regina, SK. The team will be comprised of the top 40 grade 8 & 9 athletes (born 08' & 09') in the province. The first selection camp will be combined with RMF & SMF U16 North & South selection camps, but players do not have to tryout or play on those teams to be eligible to play for U16 Team Sask. For those that are able, it is encouraged to tryout for the North & South teams and play in the Prairie Bowl series. U16 Team Sask final selections will not occur until after the Prairie Bowl series has concluded.

Football Saskatchewan’s mandate is to bring together representative individuals from our membership to compete in the U16 Western Challenge Cup. With this in mind, we firmly believe that the outstanding talent base of players and coaches in the province gives Saskatchewan a legitimate opportunity to realize success on a national stage. The Saskatchewan roster will include a maximum of 40 players who will be chosen by the U16 Saskatchewan Coaching staff. These evaluations and subsequent selections will be made through the U16 Team Saskatchewan open tryout format. Camp dates and registration can be found online at www.footballsaskatchewan.ca.

Players and coaches should be notified that costs will be incurred to cover accommodation, training, travel, meals, and other miscellaneous expenses. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the team, please contact Brenden Bennett at (306) 780-9239, or by email at bbennett@footballsaskatchewan.ca.

FEMALE U18 TEAM SASKATCHEWAN

Players must be born in 2006, 2007, or 2008 to be eligible to play with our U18 Women’s Team Saskatchewan program. 

The U18 Female National Championship is a 6-a-side tackle football Championship that will take place in Ottawa, ON, July 24-30. The event will include provincial teams from across the country fielding the top female U18 tackle football in the country. Teams will play 3 games, while scheduling ensures teams at least two full days rest between games.

Football Saskatchewan’s mandate is to bring together representative individuals from our membership to compete in the female Football Canada Cup.  With this in mind, we firmly believe that the outstanding talent base of players and coaches in the province gives Saskatchewan a legitimate opportunity to realize success on a national stage. The Saskatchewan roster will include a maximum of 22 players who will be chosen by the U18 Saskatchewan Coaching staff. These evaluations and subsequent selections will be made through the U18 Team Saskatchewan open tryout format. Camp dates and registration can be found online at www.footballsaskatchewan.ca.

Players and coaches should be notified that costs will be incurred to cover accommodation, training, travel, meals, and other miscellaneous expenses. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the team, please contact Aimee Kowalski at (306) 780-9239, or by email at akowalski@footballsaskatchewan.ca.

MALE U18 TEAM SASKATCHEWAN

Players must be born in 2006 or 2007 to be eligible to play with our U18 Team Saskatchewan program. 

The Football Canada Cup will be held July 6-15 in Edmonton, AB. Teams will play 3 games, while scheduling ensures teams at least two full days rest between games.

Football Saskatchewan’s mandate is to bring together representative individuals from our membership to compete in the male Football Canada Cup.  With this in mind, we firmly believe that the outstanding talent base of players and coaches in the province gives Saskatchewan a legitimate opportunity to realize success on a national stage. The Saskatchewan roster will include a maximum of 40 players who will be chosen by the U18 Team Saskatchewan Coaching staff.  These evaluations and subsequent selections will be made through the U18 Team Saskatchewan open tryout format. Camp dates and registration can be found online at www.footballsaskatchewan.ca.

Players and coaches should be notified that costs will be incurred to cover accommodation, training, travel, meals, and other miscellaneous expenses. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the Football Canada Cup, please contact Mike Thomas at (306) 780-9239, or by email at mthomas@footballsaskatchewan.ca

U18 FUTURES TEAM SASKATCHEWAN

Players must be born in 2005, 2006 or 2007 to be eligible to play with our U18 Futures program.

The U18 Futures team is made up of the next 40 athletes not selected to the Canada Cup squad.  We hope it gives an opportunity to these athletes to continue their development in a tournament setting.

The Saskatchewan Combine kicks the season off and is ran by our U18 Canada Cup and Futures staff; this is the first opportunity to be seen by these coaches but can also be used as a tool for the athlete to see where they’re at regarding their off-season performance training. Athletes who wish to make U18 Team Saskatchewan or the U18 Futures must attend the first U18 Selection Camp. From the U18 selection camps the top players in the province will be selected to participate in the Top 100 Camp. Selections for the Canada Cup and Futures will be made shortly after, and the two teams will begin preparing for their respective games. The U18 Futures will travel to Sherwood Park, AB to play U18 Futures team from BC, AB, & MB.

 *Note – the Top 100 Camp will be made up of players directly from this camp, so if an athlete wants to be selected to the Top 100, they must go to one of the first U18 Selection Camps.

VISUAL EQUIPMENT INSPECTIONS (HELMETS & SHOULDER PADS)

COST: FREE

Brad Herschmiller, former Saskatchewan Roughrider equipment manager, in conjunction with Football Saskatchewan will travel to high schools or minor tackle football leagues in the province and conduct visual equipment inspections and fitting seminars. To save Brad’s time and to make these inspections as cost efficient as possible we will try to do them on a regional basis.  The inspections will be scheduled upon request. Once requested arrangements will be made at a centrally located school in your area.  Coaches will be responsible to transport their own equipment to this location.

Talk it over with the other coaches in your area and if you wish to schedule a visual equipment inspection, please contact Mike Thomas in Regina at (306) 780-9239, Jeff Yausie in Saskatoon at (306) 975-0827, or Brad Herschmiller at (306) 536-2637.  This is a great opportunity for you to utilize the experience and expertise of Brad Herschmiller.