Valkyries Winter Camp hits high gear in photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Kennedy Mann, right, uses proper form to make a tackle.

For one day, the Saskatoon Valkyries of the present and potentially the future came together.

The storied Western Women’s Canadian Football League team hosted its annual winter camp on January 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. The camp was for any female player who were at least 16-years-old and no former football experience was required.

A large number of Valkyries veterans take part in this camp along with a sizable amount of high school players and players who graduated from high school the previous June. Those who graduated the previous June could potentially join the Valkyries for the upcoming 2025 campaign, while those still in high school gained a valuable introduction to the squad with the hopes of becoming part of the team in the future.

Julia Smith throws a pass for the Valkyries.

Ultimately, over 70 athletes from across the province took part in this camp.

Our lead picture in this photo roundup sees linebacker Kennedy Mann, right, showing off her wrap up form during a tackling drill.

Mann has been a member of the Valkyries last three straight WWCFL championship teams.

The second photo shows young quarterback Julia Smith working on her technique as she throws the ball to a teammate. Smith was in her first season with the team in 2024.

Receiver Jada Duchene is shown in the third photo making a catch after running a pattern. Duchene is looking to play in her first season with the team.

Jada Duchene makes a catch for the Valkyries.

Along with the pictures from the Saskatoon Valkyries Winter Camp, this photo roundup includes other scenes from the Indoor Training Centre and images from the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. Baseball, rugby and softball teams are hitting stride preparing for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Ultimate disc continues with regular season play and the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club prepare for various meets.

The pictures in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo roundup, almost all of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 15 shots we hope you enjoy.

Contact

A player from the Saskatoon Royals female baseball program nails a grounder during a practice session on January 12 at the Indoor Training Centre. The hitter was taking part in one of four skill building stations the Royals had set up on this day.

Finesse throw

Emma Frisky, who has played for Softball Canada’s Under-18 Women’s National Team, unloads an off-speed pitch to the plate during an individual session in the pitching lanes on January 12. Frisky enjoys putting in extra work at her craft, which makes her one of the country’s top players in her age group.

Slick toss

A player makes a smart toss up the field past a defender during Saskatoon Ultimate Sport-Disc Society action on January 17 at the Indoor Training Centre. The ultimate disc athletes enjoying taking part in competitive action in a very upbeat atmosphere.

They’re off

A group of young skaters from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club jet down the back straightaway at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on January 22. The young skaters of the Lions love it when they get to jet down the track.

Push race fun

The “push race” has become the team and family building activity for the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club. The “push race” involved all members of the club with skaters separated at different intervals along a straightaway. After the first skaters start, they get up to and push the next skater and then the next skater until you are pushing a line of skaters. These races result in all sorts of smiles and laughs even if one line of skaters wipes out. It is a fun part of Lions practices like this one on January 22 at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval.

Coach chatter

Head coach Pat Barry address his Saskatoon Valkyries before the morning practice session of their winter camp on January 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. Barry will put the Valkyries players into an upbeat spirit heading into drills for that session.

Group shuffle

Saskatoon Valkyries go through a slide shuffle drill during warmups at their winter camp on January 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Valkyries go through a number of warmup routines before heading on to the main part of a training session.

All about technique

An offensive line group goes through blocking technique repetitions during the Saskatoon Valkyries Winter Camp on January 26 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Valkyries coaches know that hand technique skills play a big part in getting the job done on the offensive line.

Here comes the “boom”

A couple of members of the Saskatoon Badgers Rugby Club take part in a contact drill during a practice on January 30 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Badgers practice focused on executing the contact aspects of the sports safely and correctly.

Little things matter

Saskatoon Giants head coach Trent Marien, centre, talks to his players following a practice on January 30 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Giants just finished off a session with a big focus working on pitcher pick off moves, and Marien was talking about how little things like getting outs off pick offs will add up in a game.

Locked down on first

A first baseman tracks a ball into his glove during a Going Yard Baseball Academy training session on February 4 at the Indoor Training Centre. This out was recorded during a session that focused on infield defence and base running.

Picture perfect skating night

The skaters from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club went through their repetitions under a scenic sky on February 4 at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. This was a time nature presented a special gift.

Making it look easy

An infielder plays a ground ball in textbook fashion during a Saskatoon Phantoms Under-11 squad practice on February 4 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Phantoms coaches were also doing evaluations to make plans for the rest of the off-season and the upcoming spring and summer campaign.

Setting for a throw

An infielder sets his feet to make a throw to first base during a simulated game session put on by the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Academy on February 7 at the Indoor Training Centre. The simulated contest made players adjust to the unplanned variables that come up in game situations.

Final preps

Pitcher Garrett Hawkins goes through the mechanics of delivering a pitch on February 7 at the Indoor Training Centre. Hawkins will depart soon for Spring Training with the MLB’s San Diego Padres. He is on the comeback trail after missing all of the 2024 campaign having Tommy John surgery part way through 2023. We wish Hawkins the best of luck on his journey. He was outstanding with helping the young pitchers at the Complex with the Going Yard Baseball Academy.

Valkyries grow into institution in Saskatoon

Female football sees big growth since club’s birth in 2011

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

The Valkyries raise the WWCFL championship trophy in 2022.

The meteoric rise of the Saskatoon Valkyries has given Saskatoon a vibrant female football landscape.

Back in the fall of 2010, Football Saskatchewan held a women’s tackle football clinic in Saskatoon to gauge the interest of women for the sport. Roughly around 45 women ranging in ages and athletic backgrounds from Regina, Saskatoon, Prince Albert and surrounding areas came out to give the sport a shot.

From that initial gathering, Football Saskatchewan backed the start of two 12-player women’s tackle football teams with one in Regina and one in Saskatoon. In the spring of 2011, the Regina Riot and Saskatoon Valkyries began play in the inaugural season of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

The Valkyries won the first four straight league titles and eight league championships overall in the circuit’s history. Since the Valkyries start, numerous players from the team have gone on to coach or take on administrative and supporting roles in the sport.

Female flag football ballooned in “The Bridge City” since the Valkyries creation. The Rush High School Female Football Flag League was born around 2014. The Saskatoon F.A.T.E. (Female Athletes Tackling Excellence) program was created last fall to allow high school aged female players to play games in the six-person version of the sport.

More female players began to show up on high school rosters. Saskatchewan began sending provincial teams to national competitions and Valkyries players have represented Canada on the international scene.

Michelle Duchene, who has been the Valkyries general manager since the team’s inception, marvels looking at what has transpired in Saskatoon since the Valkyries played their first game back on May 22, 2011 downing the Riot 56-6 at historic Taylor Field in Regina.

“The best thing has been watching the sport grow in both flag and tackle for girls, and that we have created the space for females to have a place in football,” said Duchene, whose team hosts the Riot at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. “More and more of our players are moving on to coaching tackle and flag football or finding other ways to be involved in the sport once they retire.

“Hearing athletes coming from other sports talk about how they are treated like elite athletes in our community by being part of the Valkyries is a pretty special feeling. We get calls from groups asking our player to come talk to them or teach them about being an elite athlete and our sport, which is a pretty cool ask. It is amazing hearing young athletes talk to us about how excited they are to play for the Valkyries one day.”

Valkyries MLB Emmarae Dale (#45) chases Riot QB Aimee Kowalski.

Over the years, Duchene has recruited a number of players to come play for the Valkyries. Sometimes, the sales pitch comes from planting the idea in a female athlete’s mind that she should give football a try, and she might discover she likes the game.

One of those players Duchene planted a seed with was star middle linebacker Emmarae Dale. Before Dale joined the Valkyries in 2016, she played flag football and Duchene was her coach. Duchene passed on some friendly nudges that Dale would probably like playing for the Valkyries, if she joined the team.

Dale has since become one of the Valkyries most recognizable players. She helped the Valkyries win four WWCFL titles coming in 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

Along with playing for the Valkyries, Dale was recruited to play for the Saskatoon Hilltops and joined the storied powerhouse CJFL club for the 2021 season. She became the first female ever named to the Hilltops roster, and she was also the first female to play in the CJFL regular season.

Dale also suited up for Canada’s National Women’s Team that played in the International Federation of American Football’s Women’s World Championship, which ran from July 28 to August 8, 2022 in Vantaa, Finland. She was one of 12 Valkyries players that was on Canada’s main roster.

Now at age 26, Dale has always loved being a member of the Valkyries and has gained a new appreciation being a veteran player of the team.

“It has been really cool to see kind of where the team has grown throughout the years,” said Dale. “It has been interesting even to just like witness my own transition from being a new player to a veteran.

“It is really awesome just to see all the rookies and new people that we’re getting out. It has been a pretty incredible career so far. I’m just really thankful for the years I’ve been able to have and will hopefully continue to have for a little bit.”

Alex Eyolfson (#15) calls a play in the Valkyries huddle.

Dale has also been active in coaching the female game in various capacities in Saskatoon. She has seen the number of female flag teams grow over the years and said it was cool to see the F.A.T.E. program debut last fall.

“It is definitely an interesting dynamic, but it is really cool being able to see both sides of the ball,” said Dale. “Us veterans that are starting to coach more, I think it has been helping our own play to able to coach as well.

“It is really honestly good to be on the coaching side and kind of get those friendships and memories too. It is kind of interesting to still be coach and an athlete for a lot of us. It has been going really, really well, and I think we all really enjoy it.”

Like Dale, receiver Ricki Obed joined the Valkyries in 2016 too. She was a member of their last four WWCFL championship teams and suited up for Canada’s National Women’s Team for worlds in 2022.

The 32-year-old enjoyed coaching in the F.A.T.E. program last year and the new realizations that continues to bring.

“Starting the F.A.T.E. league and coaching that was just such a great experience,” said Obed. “We coached it with a full female coaching team as well with most of those being Valks players and retired Valks players as well.

“It was just so cool to watch these girls get to experience tackle football and see them start to pick it up, see them start to learn it and love it was very exciting. Now, we actually have some girls on our roster that came from F.A.T.E. just last year. It is this whole big circle, and I’m just loving being a part of it.”

During her time with the Valkyries, Obed has enjoyed seeing former players become members of the club’s coaching staff including some of her former teammates.

“Obviously, the goal of the program is just to get more women involved in football,” said Obed. “To kind of watch that progression of some of our players from the earlier years becoming coaches now, we have Marci (Halseth) and Beth (Thompson), obviously, on our coaching staff.

Ricki Obed breaks downfield after making a catch for the Valkyries.

“Rienna Rueve and Beth Lalonde are out helping coach this year as well. To see that kind of shift watching them go though their career and then into coaching now is really cool. Obviously, it opens my eyes to those opportunities as well.”

Obed said all the former Valkyries players that she knows always have positive things to say about the team. She remembers being a rookie looking up to the veteran players. Obed enjoys that memory and all the memories she has made with the squad.

“It is like a family, honestly,” said Obed. “The girls in the locker room are like some of the closest people in my life.

“To have that and to meet people that way is pretty incredible. Obviously when you go to battle together, it creates a very close bond.”

Pat Barry, who has been the Valkyries head coach since 2017 and been with the club’s coaching staff since 2014, said it has been special working with the team’s players over the years and is pumped every time a new season comes around.

“I’m a long-time coach, obviously, even before this,” said Barry, whose team has regularly played their home games at SMF Field since 2015. “It is just something I’m super excited about every season.

“When you work with adults, life sometimes gets in the way, and I understand that. So many of our athletes, they come from different sports. They come from different backgrounds.

“Now some of them, football is their first sport. That is something that didn’t happen in the early years of the club, but you had players who played flag football for many, many years or now have played tackle football in the new F.A.T.E. league or on their high school teams as well.”

Of course, being able to win eight WWCFL championships has been special as well for the Valkyries over the years. Duchene said winning titles is a nice reward for the team, but when all is said and done, she wants the players to come away feeling being a part of the Valkyries was a great and special thing in their lives.

“I love watching our player reach their goals, get better each year, some go on to play for the national team, and I am so proud of them all for reaching whatever their goal is, even if it is just trying the sport for one year,” said Duchene. “The hope is that their experience with our team will help them all succeed in life after they are done their playing careers.

The Valkyries raise their helmets for a win on June 18, 2023. 

“The number of players who have come through this program is getting bigger, and it is super fun to have them come back and see the impact that they have made and relive the glory days.”

For more information on the Saskatoon Valkyries, feel free to check their website saskatoonvalkyries.com.

Valkyries return to action, renew rivalry with Riot

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A receiver sets to catch a pass at a Valkyries practice.

The Western Women’s Canadian Football League rivalry between the Saskatoon Valkyries and the Regina Riot has created some unique memories for quarterback Alex Eyolfson.

One of those memories came during her sophomore campaign with the Valkyries in their last regular season visit to fabled Taylor Field in Regina on May 21, 2017. That contest marked the first time Eyolfson guided the Valkyries on a two-minute drill drive in the fourth quarter to win a game.

With seven seconds remaining in the contest, Eyolfson hit veteran receiver Kelsey Murphy with an eight-yard touchdown pass to win the clash 20-17.

“I think that was probably my favourite memory,” said Eyolfson regarding the encounters between the two provincial rivals.

After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Valkyries are returning to game action in 2021 with three clashes against the Riot.

The two sides go at it on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Leibel Field in Regina. The Valkyries will host the Riot on Friday, July 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Saskatoon Minor Football Field.

The two clubs will meet for a final time on Sunday, July 25 at a place and time to be announced depending on the total score of the first two contests. Pandemic restrictions that were in effect and are still in effect in different locations have prevented the Valkyries and Riot from playing the WWCFL clubs located in Alberta and Manitoba.

Still, Eyolfson is pumped her Valkyries will renew their storied rivalry with the Riot.

“It would be nice to play everyone, but Regina is our best competition,” said Eyolfson, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School. “I think they are the most challenging games.

“It will be like a good game, so it is exciting. I’m just glad that we get to play a few games.”

While the WWCFL hit the field a relatively short time ago in 2011, the Valkyries and Riot have created a storied and respectful rivalry. 

Alex Eyolfson throws a pass at a Valkyries practice.

They have played each other at least three times a season thanks to having met in each of the WWCFL’s nine post-seasons with the winner of those clashes moving on to capture the league title.

The Valkyries have won six WWCFL titles coming in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019. The Riot captured league crowns in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Eyolfson made her first major imprint in those head-to-head clashes as an 18-year-old rookie in 2016. In the WWCFL Prairie Conference title game played that season at SMF Field, Eyolfson completed 10-of-18 passes for 151 yards and four touchdowns to lift the Valkyries to a 29-14 victory.

On top of the moment where she connected with Murphy for a winning touchdown pass in that road regular season win in 2017, Eyolfson said another big memory was the Valkyries 25-3 WWCFL title game win over the Riot in 2019 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina.

The Valkyries were playing to honour the memory of their late defensive position coach Justin Filteau, who died in a plane crash on June 1, 2019. After learning about Filteau’s passing, the Valkyries dedicated their 2019 season to their late coach.

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry said that win was his best memory of head-to-head games with the Riot. He was really proud of what the Valkyries accomplished in 2019 while dealing with Filteau’s passing.

“It was such an emotional season,” said Barry. “The perseverance of our team that year was pretty special not just for this team but truly for sport in Saskatchewan.

“It was one of the more amazing moments that I have seen.”

Saskatoon posted a perfect 9-0 record in that campaign closing with a 39-12 exhibition victory over the Montreal Blitz on July 6, 2019 at SMF Field. At the moment, that stands as the last game the Valkyries have played.

Eyolfson is looking forward to playing a live game for the first time in just over two years, when the Valkyries travel to Regina to face the Riot on Saturday.

A Valkyries receiver head up field after making a catch.

“It will be exciting,” said Eyolfson. “We are all going to get riled up, and it will be fun to play them.”

Eyolfson believes the Valkyries returning players and the newcomers are coming together well. She also believes she has grown as a team leader since first joining the Valkyries in 2016.

“It is exciting to get the girls out and see some new faces,” said Eyolfson. “We are all learning.

“It is exciting. They are learning and they are having fun, so it is good. I feel more confident, and I just feel like I know we are all a unit, and I feel more comfortable.

“I try and lead by example. I’m not the loudest one out there, but I try and put a lot of effort in. It feels good to have five years under the belt.”

Barry is happy the Valkyries are getting back on the field even with just an abbreviated season. He said a lot of behind the scenes effort has made these contests happen.

“It is an immense amount of work,” said Barry. “I give a lot of credit to our board and our volunteers and all of our coaches and these players in making this commitment in a really challenging time (and) the same thing with Regina for wanting to do this.

“For the overall viability and health of the WWCFL, we feel it is really important.”

Barry said the Valkyries still aim to grow the women’s game. Many of the team’s players coach in Saskatoon’s minor football system.

In the north end zone of SMF Field, the Valkyries share a sign with the Canadian Junior Football League’s historic and storied Saskatoon Hilltops. The sign notes the Valkyries have won six WWCFL titles and the Hilltops, who played their first season in their current form in 1947, have captured 22 CJFL championships.

Barry said his Valkyries have always tried to be like their CJFL cousins on the women’s side of the game.

The north end zone sign marks the Valkyries and Hilltops title wins.

“They (the Hilltops) sort of set the bar for amateur football in our province,” said Barry. “They do a lot of things the right way.

“We try to emulate that. That is very difficult to do, but we want to provide opportunities for women to be involved in football. It is the greatest team sport in the world.

“We just want them to have the same opportunities.”

 

For more information on the Saskatoon Valkyries, feel free to check out their website saskatoonvalkyries.com.