<h1><span lang=""style="font-size:36pt;">Klein charting her own journey in flag football</span></h1>

Making 17U national team highlight for high school senior

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Olivia Klein in a Football Canada photo. (Photo courtesy Olivia Klein)

For Olivia Klein, the reality was bigger than the dream when it came to making Football Canada’s 17U National Women’s Flag Team.

On May 17, Klein attended the selection camp for the 17U National Women’s Flag Team in Kingston, Ontario, attempting to make the squad as a defensive back. She wasn’t sure at first how that opportunity was going to pan out.

“The tryout was super intense,” said Klein. “There were a lot of girls, and I was like really nervous.

“I didn’t know what to expect. The coach was from Quebec. I didn’t know him very well, and the tryout was super nerve-racking.”

Shortly after that tryout, Klein got the call that she made the team, which was also the inaugural edition for the 17U National Women’s squad. Having played the sport since she was seven-years-old, Klein was pretty pumped about that development.

“I was overwhelmed,” said Klein, who turned 17-years-old on October 24. “My mom (Crystal Klein) and me were both crying.

“My dad (Kelly Klein) was so happy for me. It was just a really exciting feeling, and I just felt so accomplished with myself. I was just proud, and I just kind of was like thinking back like everything that I’ve put into this sport kind of led up to that moment.

“Finding out that I made that team was super awesome. Getting to go down to L.A. and train in Chula Vista alongside all the national women’s team, the national men’s team was a super cool opportunity. It was just so fun, so competitive playing against U.S. girls, just an awesome opportunity for me and so cool to be there.”

Klein took part in a training camp in Chula Vista, California, from June 13 to 17. She then played in the Junior International Cup that ran June 19 to 21 in Los Angeles. At that event, Klein helped Canada post a 4-2 overall record, which included finishing out winning the bronze medal contest 38-6 over Panama.

Olivia Klein (#70) jets downfield after a catch for the Mystics.

Those experiences were fulfilling for Klein considering the fact that for most of her life growing up hockey was her main sport. She played hockey through the winter season and geared up playing through Saskatoon Minor Football’s flag football programs through the warmer times in the spring, summer and fall.

In the current day, Klein is still playing both sports. She is a defender with the Saskatoon Comet Legends under-17 AA team. She just finished playing for the Mystics in the Varsity Division of the Toon Squad League overseen by SMF.

Klein, who is a Grade 12 student at Aden Bowman Collegiate, has played for various flag teams operated through SMF during her high school days as a two-way player. During her Grade 11 school year, Klein took a big step in making flag football her main sport enrolling to be part of the Institute of Saskatchewan Football, which runs in the second semester of each school year on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

“I started that last year, and that was something very new to me, but it was very exciting,” said Klein, who stands 5-foot-8. “It was a great year.

“It was lots of hard work. I had great coaches alongside me, and we got to go to Florida with our ISF team. That was a cool opportunity, and then, of course, the Europe trip was super cool too.”

Klein built a tonne of great memories playing with and against the female players in her generation she has grown up with. She said a couple of her best friends include Cameron Scott, who was her quarterback on the Mystics, and Molly Freeman, who is a receiver who also took part in the selection camp for the 17U National Women’s Flag Team.

“I’ve just grown up playing this sport with them,” said Klein, who has played games regularly at Saskatoon Minor Football Field over the years. “You get really close with all the girls and create awesome friendships.”

Olivia Klein lines up on defensive in Toon Squad league play.

Mystics coach Sarah Wright has gotten to coach Klein about three or four times through SMF programs. Wright said Klein is super motivated and it is always a pleasure to coach her. The sideline boss has enjoyed seeing the young athlete grow into a star player that makes an impact on both sides of the ball.

“The way that she has been training with ISF (the Institute of Saskatchewan Football) and everything like that too, they’ve just made sure that both sides of the ball are worked,” said Wright, who is a star running back with the WWCFL’s Saskatoon Valkyries and has playing in Football Canada’s national team system. “She (Klein) has got amazing hands on both sides of the ball.

“I think being a good defensive player makes her a good offensive player and vice versa, so we’re super excited to see her on both sides of the ball.”

Wright believes Klein has a bright future in the game. Back in 2016, Wright graduated from high school and joined the Valkyries for her rookie season one year later.

The Mystics coach said the football landscape when she graduated from high school is much different compared to now and when Klein is set to graduate in June of 2027. Flag football will be part of the Summer Olympics in 2028 and there are NCAA and U Sports programs to join that weren’t around in 2016. Noting those changes, Wright thinks Klein can be in the sport for some time.

“It is so different,” said Wright. “There is so, so, so, so many more opportunities for girls in flag football, which is great, especially with it being in the Olympics now.

“I’m super excited to see where she (Klein) continues to grow from here. She has not even hit her prime yet, so the only way is up.”

Olivia Klein is a stellar two-way player in flag football.

Klein said one of the biggest learning experiences for her being part of 17U National Women’s Flag Team was just focusing on the defensive side of the ball as a defensive back after always being a two-way player.

“It was definitely different,” said Klein. “Lots of girls that I played with were from Quebec, so there is a language barrier there.

“I had to learn some French but not very much. The defence, it was definitely different. It was super intense.

“We had an aggressive defence, which I loved. It was just a lot of the stuff that I’m used to. Obviously, all the defences have bits and pieces of things that I’ve learned and defences that I’ve played before.”

Overall, Klein said her experience with the 17U National Women’s Flag Team has added to her confidence when it comes to playing the game.

“Every single game that I have now, I’m kind of just trying to channel all the things that I learned from that,” said Klein. “I definitely have taken all of the experience from that with me to my game.”

On November 2, Klein helped the Mystics claim a 34-13 win over the Wings in the championship game for the Toon Squad Varsity League. The Mystics finished the season with a 10-2 overall record.

Looking towards the future, Klein said she hasn’t yet committed to joining a post-secondary team in the NCAA or U Sports ranks. She has been focused on living in the moment but admits she plans to continue playing the sport in the foreseeable future.

“I’m definitely hoping to commit to a school whether that is here in Canada, in the States or wherever it may be,” said Klein. “I definitely want to play competitive flag next year in university.

Olivia Klein and the Mystics won the Toon Squad Varsity League title.

“Obviously, 2032 is coming. That is my kind of year to get into the Olympics, so hopefully, that is something for me. Hopefully, there is an opportunity for there.

“I’m just super excited for all of that coming up. I’ll get to watch the Olympics here soon, so that will be exciting to watch them.”

For more information on the flag and other programs offered by Saskatoon Minor Football, feel free to check out their website at saskatoonminorfootball.com/smf/.