The idea of establishing Saskatchewan’s first permanent high school football academy had been a dream of Brian Guebert’s for well over a decade.
Dating back to his time in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the executive director of Saskatoon Minor Football envisioned a program that would combine football development and academic learning.
After years of planning and preparation, that dream finally became a reality on Jan. 31 with the first practices of the Institute of Saskatchewan Football.
“This is formally two and a half years in the making,” said Guebert. “(And) probably about 15 years of me dreaming about doing something like this, driven by ‘How we can give our athletes the best opportunity to have success at higher levels?’”
Over the past week, roughly 50 student-athletes from Saskatoon and the surrounding area have hit the turf indoors at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex as the inaugural class of the academy.
Grade 12 student Matthew Elash told Global News he wanted to enhance his skills before playing offensive line in the Canadian Junior Football League next season.
“I just want to try to get better,” said Elash. “I’m committed to the (Saskatoon) Hilltops, so I want to start preparing for that kind of stuff just to get my skill, endurance and strength up.”
“Getting to play football for school has been really fun but also really exhausting. You’re working hard every single day, it does a number on you but it’s really fun.”
The Institute of Saskatchewan Football brings athletes from across multiple school divisions in the Saskatoon area together to attend daily practices in the morning, before completing their education in the afternoon through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre.
Taking cues from other athletic academies in the province which focus on sports like hockey and baseball, students are able to access 125 classes through the SDLC with all coaches being fully accredited to teach by the province.
“We created a study hall atmosphere where students are taking online classes,” said Guebert. “But they have access to their teachers here as an in-person tutor to hold them accountable, which is something football coaches are really good at.”
The program is running from February to June, with athletes being able to access both the Gordie Howe Sports Complex indoor facility as well as SMF Field in the spring.
Of the 50 student-athletes participating in the ISF’s first season, five female athletes are also pursuing development in flag football.
“I love playing flag football and football in general,” said Grade 11 student Jadyn Lessard. “I thought it would be an experience I’d like to take, since I really do want to go far in this sport.”
While most of the current athletes are based out of Saskatoon, the goal is to eventually expand the program to more areas in the province.
According to Guebert, it was important to open up the program to anyone who wanted to pursue elite-level football training especially with flag football set to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles at the 2028 Games.
“I want to see the Olympic roster just full of Saskatchewan athletes,” said Guebert. “It was a no-brainer, we’ve got some amazing athletes here in the city. When (female athletes) reached out saying, ‘Hey can we be a part of this too?’ It was an absolute yes.”
As part of the process to launch the academy, Guebert added they’ve partnered with football stakeholders from across Saskatchewan such as the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, University of Regina Rams, Saskatoon Hilltops, Regina Thunder, Saskatoon Valkyries and Regina Riot to help advance their graduates.
For Lessard, moving over to tackle football with the Valkyries is something she one day would like to achieve in her progression on the field and in the classroom.
“If you’re thinking of trying a sport, go and try it,” said Lessard. “That’s something that I thought with flag football. I was like, ‘Oh I’ve seen the sport, but I’m not sure if I should do it.’ Pursue your dreams and your goals.”
Dubbed the ‘Harvesters’, the ISF team will be playing a scrimmage against an opponent yet to be determined in the coming weeks.