Roughriders’ Picton enjoys helping the kids in Saskatoon

Receiver still remembered for time with Rams

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Mitchell Picton gives a play call to a group of players.

Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Mitchell Picton chuckles for being known as the University of Regina Rams player that comes to Saskatoon to coach the kids.

Since 2022, Picton has made way up to Saskatoon from Regina to be a guest coach for Saskatoon Minor Football’s Playground To Pros camp. The Playground To Pros camp is the annual Easter time camp that helps with developing skills and fundamentals in players at the grassroots level.

Picton was back at this year’s camp that ran April 22 to 24 at the Indoor Training Centre on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. While he has been a member of the Roughriders since 2017, Picton is amazed about how many locals remember he played five seasons for the University of Regina Rams from 2013 to 2017.

After the Rams were eliminated from the Canada West playoffs on November 4, 2017, Picton signed with the Roughriders on November 15, 2017 and has been with the CFL franchise continually from that time. Picton, who will turn 30-years-old on May 29, still gets into friendly jab sessions regarding the Rams rivalry in U Sports with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies every time he visits Saskatoon.

“It is definitely still alive,” said Picton, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 197 pounds. “I always make sure to pack a little bit of Rams gear when I come up to Saskatoon.

“I’m certainly still a Rams fan. I still have a little bit of distaste for the Huskies. They’ve got a few decent guys over there that I’ve become friends with over the years.”

Picton is part of a sizable group of CFL players who help with the Playground To Pros camp including Huskies alums in Riley Pickett and Nathan Cherry, who both play for the British Columbia Lions, and Josh Hagerty, who suits up for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Pickett, who also an alum of the CJFL’s storied Saskatoon Hilltops, is the Lions long snapper and fullback, and Cherry toils on the defensive line. Hagerty is a defensive back with the Blue Bombers.

Mitchell Picton sizes up a play call during a scrimmage.

While Picton enjoys getting to know and working with players on various other CFL teams, his biggest joy comes from working with the kids at Playground To Pros.

“It is always fun,” said Picton. “Being from Saskatchewan, a kid that grew up playing Regina minor football and that sort of thing and came through the Team Sask ranks, it is always good to come out and give back, because that little kid was me a bunch of years back.

“It always feels good to come out and be involved in the minor football community.”

The players who take part in the Playground To Pros camp get to try every position in the game of football. Picton said he tries to pass on simple lessons to the players he works with.

“You try to teach them the basics,” said Picton. “You see each kid for a very short amount of time.

“You try and give them one or two things to maybe work on and help their craft a little bit. You are not going to change them overnight or develop a player overnight. You try and give them the tools to take back to their teams for their football season to work on that is going to help their game progress.”

Growing up in Regina, Picton said he didn’t remember going to a camp that was exactly similar to Playground To Pros, but he did attend some development camps. He believes the Playground To Pros camps allows players to get a taste of every part of the game. Picton added he took part in a variety of sports growing up in Regina, and it is good to enjoy numerous sports.

Mitchell Picton, centre, hands a football to a player.

“There were always camps and stuff that we went to throughout the spring and summer,” said Picton. “I played a lot of sports growing up.

“Football season started for me when RMF (Regina Minor Football) started. I was playing hockey through the winter. Then into the spring, I played lacrosse.

“In the fall, it was time to play football. I was kind of playing different sports at different times. I’d pick up my football helmet again when football season rolled around.”

Picton also enjoys being on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds. He likes working out at Ignite Athletics and thinks the Indoor Training Centre is a perfect spot to hold minor football camps in.

“Ignite (Athletics) is great for us,” said Picton. “They treat us extremely well, so we always like coming up there and getting some work in.

“Just the facility, the turf and everything that they have here is kind of in one spot. It makes it easy for us to train and coach the kids and do all that kind of just under one roof. It makes it pretty good.”

He adds he is always impressed with how many of the guest coaches from the CFL ranks are Saskatchewan products.

“I think it speaks to the talent that we have in Saskatchewan,” said Picton. “There are a lot of guys playing football professionally now that are from Saskatchewan or played at the U of R or U of S and that sort of thing.

“It is great to get up here with them a little bit. We’ve trained together. It is always good to see guys like that and get a little work in.”

Mitchell Picton gives feedback to a group of players.

Of course, Picton said it is special when the young players recognize him for being a member of the Roughriders. 

He talks frequently about those encounters with Saskatoon product and Roughriders long snapper Jorgen Hus, who is an alum of the Rams and the Hilltops.

“For us, we almost not downplay it, but it has become pretty normalized for us,” said Picton. “That is our occupation.

“That is what we do is we play football. We try to not make it as big a deal between us. Then, it is cool when you see the kids, and they’re super excited.

“Then, you kind of do have that different perspective of what we do is important in the community, and people care a lot about it.”

Following the conclusion of the Playground To Pros camp, Picton returned home to Regina for a short stay before returning to Saskatoon. Roughriders rookie camp ran from May 7 to 9 at Griffiths Stadium. Main camp was set to begin on May 11 at Griffiths with the team returning to Regina on May 25.

Picton is looking forward to the upcoming CFL campaign.

Mitchell Picton shares a laugh with some fans on May 18, 2024.

“You’re excited for training camp to get going,” said Picton. “You’re excited to get into the season.

“You are not quite as excited for three weeks of living in dorms in Saskatoon, but that is all part of training camp and what we go through in our jobs. I am excited to get the season going and get up here and get to work.”

For more information on the various programs offered by Saskatoon Minor Football, feel free to check out their website at saskatoonminorfootball.com.

Hus holds Gordie Howe Sports Complex in heart

Now Honorary Chair of “Sharing Sport Together” campaign

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Jorgen Hus coaches players at Playground To Pros in April.

Jorgen Hus keeps getting pulled back into the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

The 34-year-old Saskatoon product is the veteran long snapper for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and he has a lengthy history with city’s storied sports park. Hus played for the football program at St. Joseph’s High School taking part in games at Saskatoon Minor Football Field from 2003 to 2006.

He moved on to play three seasons with the CJFL’s powerhouse Saskatoon Hilltops from 2007 to 2009. The Hilltops have played their home games at SMF Field since 1960. After becoming a member of the Roughriders in 2015, Hus kept returning to SMF Field as the CFL squad began to regularly hold its annual “Green and White Day” there starting in 2016.

Making a career away from football as a mortgage broker in his hometown, Hus does all his off-season training in Saskatoon. Once the Indoor Training Centre opened on March 1, 2019 on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds, Hus was able to work on his long snapping on the field turf field and do conditioning training at Ignite Athletics.

“This park in general has been a huge part of my life,” said Hus, who helped the Hilltops win a CJFL title in 2007. “It has supported my career and being able to come here in the winters has just helped my career out in so many ways.

“It is pretty incredible what we have here. I just think I wish I had something like this when I was starting high school. I’m curious to see how things would have gone, and if they would have gone any different.

“It is a state-of-the-art facility, and these kids that get to come now they have no idea how good they have it. This is one of the top places in Canada, if not the best as far as I’m concerned. I have a lot of memories here, and a lot of opportunity.”

Knowing the impact the Complex has made on his football career, Hus thought it was natural to take on the role as Honorary Campaign Chair for the “Sharing Sport Together” campaign. That campaign overseen by Friends of the Bowl has a goal of raising $10-million to compete the final upgrades for the Complex grounds. Hus was honoured when he was presented with the opportunity to be the Honorary Campaign Chair.

Jorgen Hus works on long snapping at the Indoor Training Centre.

“This place it obviously has a place in my heart,” said Hus. “It has done so much for me.

“It continues to do even more. With the opportunities that are right there, anything that I can do to help that come to fruition is going to help the dreams of the next kid, the next generation be fulfilled. It is all possible.

“It was a no brainer for me.”

Johnny Marciniuk, who is the Operations Manager for the Gordie Howe Sports Complex Management Incorporated, was excited that Hus came on board to be the Honorary Campaign Chair for the “Sharing Sport Together” campaign. Marciniuk was pleased Hus took up the role, because of the positive history he has in Saskatoon’s sports scene.

“It is awesome to have Jorgen as our Honourary Campaign Chair as he is a successful local boy who played sports in our high school and junior system in the province,” said Marciniuk. “He is a role model for professional football players as well as young boys and girls and adults to strive to achieve their goals.

“What is even better is all of our clients young and old can end up walking side by side with him in our facilities as he uses them on a daily basis, which brings a sense of community to everyone. Lastly, Jorgen is a business man, husband, father and gentleman. We couldn’t be prouder to have him associated with our campaign.”

Hus said some of his earliest memories of playing football in Grade 9 was being able to get out of class early to catch the bus to come down to SMF Field. From there, he built more memories playing against buddies from elementary school who suited up for Evan Hardy Collegiate. The high school post-season inevitably seemed to lead to a showdown with Holy Cross High School.

Playing for either St. Joseph’s or the Hilltops, recollections piled up of playing on the old grass surface at SMF Field when it would eventually become a mud bowl often late in the season.

“There are definitely a few games there where you can’t even tell anybody’s number,” said Hus. “There are just so many games that have been like that.

“I can’t even like pick one out. There was definitely a lot of them. Those were the most fun games.

Jorgen Hus works with youngsters at a clinic in February.

“You’re sliding around in the mud. You feel bad for the folks who have to do the laundry, because that wouldn’t have been easy. That was all part of it playing in all the elements.”

Since 2014, the mud bowl became a thing of the past as a field turf field was installed. With the turf field that exists at the Indoor Training Centre, Hus has been impressed with the number of different camps and programs Saskatoon Minor Football offers thanks to the increased field time. He is a regular when it comes to coaching with SMF’s Playground To Pros Camp.

“All the camps and stuff that are going on now, obviously, they weren’t around when I was coming out of college,” said Hus, who helps coach long snappers at various levels of the game in Saskatoon. “I don’t even know if the CFL combine had lasers when I came out.

“There is definitely more opportunity. Now even with the indoor facilities that we have, we can go throughout the winter. There are no excuses.

“There is a time all year round. We don’t have to wait for the good weather.”

Hus said he has improved quite a bit working on the craft of his position since the Indoor Training Centre opened.

“I’ve had two all-star seasons since being able to work in this place and having the winters to do this,” said Hus. “It is no coincidence.

“I’ve been able to practice on good turf all year round essentially all winter. It has been huge for my career, massive.”

Along with improving for his sport, Hus has enjoyed meeting the numerous athletes that come to the Complex to train and improve in various other sports. He has found those athletes have developed a feeling of attachment to the Complex like he has. Hus said seeing the drive of the other athletes helps his drive.

Jorgen Hus speaks at the Hilltops End Zone Dinner on Sept. 30, 2023.

“You are seeing people come here and working their tail off chasing their dreams, and it is not hard to get motivated by that,” said Hus. “You can be walking in here on your worst day, and you’ll find plenty of reasons to get motivated and fired up.

“That is why I love coming here. I’ll be a client forever after the football career is done. It is pretty special.

“There are not a lot of places where you can see that and get that out of people.”

Playground To Pros and other fun pack into photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A receiver, left, makes a tough catch at a Playground To Pros session.

The enthusiasm that you can experience at Playground To Pros is contagious.

Saskatoon Minor Football ran the annual Easter break camp for young players in Grades 5 to 8 at the Indoor Training Centre from April 2 to 4. SMF brings in a variety of guest coaches that are either playing in the CFL or alums of the professional ranks along with some of the top football coaches in Saskatoon.

The players at Playground To Pros go through a variety of drills that focus on skill development in a fun environment. 

Jorgen Hus coaches young players at Playground To Pros.

If you are ever around one of the Playground To Pros camp sessions, you can tell the coaches do a great job of delivering fun, because it seems the players always exude a positive and energetic vibe.

All the sessions at the camp lead to a scrimmage session that is held in the afternoon on the last day, which was April 4. This session closes the camp and gives players a chance to show off what they have learned.

Our lead picture of our photo roundup sees a receiver making a great catch under tight coverage during one of the scrimmages on April 4. 

The second picture of the photo roundup shows Saskatchewan Roughriders veteran long snapper Jorgen Hus directing a group of players during a scrimmage session.

A defensive back mades an interception at Playground To Pros.

The third picture of the photo roundup shows a young defensive back making an interception in scrimmage action.

With the spring sports season almost here, the Indoor Training Centre has been a massive hub of activity for the past month. Various baseball, cricket, rugby and softball groups have been at the facility doing preparation work so they can hit the ground running when their various campaigns begin.

The pictures in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo roundup, the majority of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke. Also, Vic Pankratz also checks in with a pair of photos from Playground To Pros.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 17 shots we hope you enjoy.

Hofmann shows off new toy

Our baseball family can now enjoy two new portable five-foot wide by 10-foot long mounds which will be safer for pitching drills. We have one for each the north and south fields at the Indoor Training Centre. Logan Hofmann is shown trying out one of the new mounds.

Got it at the wall

A Saskatoon Cubs outfielder makes a catch at the wall during a training session on March 13 at the Indoor Training Centre. On the dividing curtain that splits the field turf field into the north and south fields, the solid green lower portion of the curtain is meant to simulate an outfield wall.

Out at first

A Saskatoon Giants infielder sets to secure a catch at first base for an out during a training session on March 13 at the Indoor Training Centre. Baseball groups enjoy the fact they can set up a regular infield at the Indoor Training Centre for practices.

Mastering the wild pitch block

Saskatoon Cubs catcher Osher Stromberg makes sure he gets his body in front of a ball to control a wild pitch as part of a wild pitch drill he did on March 13 at the Indoor Training Centre. Stromberg is a player you can watch in order to pick up tips on how to be a better catcher.

Out at second

A Saskatoon Raiders infielder sets to secure an out at second base during a training session on March 19 at the Indoor Training Centre. Enthusiasm was high among the players at this practice as the spring season closes in.

Coming right at you

A hitter at a 222’s Fastpitch training session drives the ball hard straight into the net at the Indoor Training Centre on March 19. The players in the hitting drills at this practice focused on technique.

Eye on the ball

A catcher looks the ball into her glove during a 222’s Fastpitch training session held on March 19 at the Indoor Training Centre. The catchers did various drills revolving around technique with a particular focus on getting throws off to second base at this session.

Let it rip

A bowler from the Bison Cricket Club Saskatoon makes a delivery to a hitter during a live competitive session in a pitching lane on March 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. It is becoming more common that onlookers from sports groups in neighbouring surroundings will check out the work of the cricket groups.

Hitter with a reach

A hitter from the Bison Cricket Club Saskatoon reaches out to make a connection during a live competitive session in a pitching lane on March 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. The cricket groups are looking forward to their upcoming outdoor season in spring.

Windup with flow

A young pitcher flows through her windup during a 222’s Fastpitch Pitching Factory day on March 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. During Pitching Factory days, young pitchers aged 13 and under worked on the skills of throwing various pitches and take part in defensive drills from the pitching circle.

Here comes the heat

A young pitcher fires a toss during a Going Yard Baseball Academy training session on March 26 at the Indoor Training Session. The instructors at Going Yard were working with a younger group of hurlers on this day, and a lot of focus was paid to skill development.

Selects scoop toss

A Saskatoon Selects infielder makes a scoop toss during a rapid-fire infield tossing drill on Easter Sunday, March 31 at the Indoor Training Centre. This Selects session was held after the dinner hour, and the players had a tonne of fun on this day.

Toss out of trouble

A member of the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club passes the ball to a teammate during a drill at the Indoor Training Centre on April 1. The Wild Oats coaches will work to get their players to be able to make quick decisions as rugby is a sport with constant motion.

Throw to start a drill

A member of the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club passed the ball into his teammates to start a drill at the Indoor Training Season on April 1. The Wild Oats are preparing for their upcoming season in the spring.

Driving through the tackle

A couple of members of the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club work on a tackling drill with a blocking pad on April 1. The tackler is driving through the player holding the blocking pad with power.

Tough running

Vic Pankratz checks in here with a photo from a Playground To Pros session on April 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. In this picture, a young running back tries to get out of the grips of a tackler during a one-on-one competitive drill.

Catch coming in stride

Vic Pankratz also gave us this sweet picture from the Playground To Pros session on April 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. In this shot, a young receiver is set to make a catch in stride while running his route with a defensive back in the vicinity. You can check out more of Vic’s photos at vicpankratzmedia.com.