Darren Zary
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
The Institute of Saskatchewan Football passed its first season with flying colours.
Now, it’s preparing to hit the gridiron for the second year.
“The Institute has surpassed my expectations of what it would be in year one,” says Brian Guebert, executive director for Saskatoon Minor Football.
“It’s going even better than I thought it would be, and I’m an optimist.”
The Institute gives high school football players from in and around Saskatoon an opportunity to continue their studies while also developing their football and leadership skills.
There’s even talk of branching out to other locations.
“The whole idea is built to be scalable. We want it to exist in all corners of this province and Regina’s the next natural fit,” Guebert said.
What is the Institute of Saskatchewan Football?
It’s a fully accredited academic program in Saskatoon, through the Saskatchewan Distance Learning Centre, that allows students to further develop their football skills during the winter semester. The program runs from January to late June.
The Institute is “dedicated to empowering young athletes through comprehensive football development and character building.”
Student-athletes are able to use the Gordie Howe Sports Complex indoor facilities during the winter months and SMF field in the spring. Part of the daily routine includes online classes and study periods during the afternoon with a focus on football, training and leadership in the mornings.
What was the impetus behind the Institute?
“It’s been something I’ve been thinking about for a long time: the ability to work with our athletes here in Saskatoon on a daily basis, and kind of expose them to that working out 5 days a week and getting some specific skill instruction,” explains Guebert.
“The coolest thing is what we’re doing is entirely developmental, so our coaches get to focus on refining skills, giving these kids an opportunity to develop their skills at the highest level. We’re not preparing for an opponent every week.”
Guebert said kids also get high school credits for playing football, training and the leadership component.
The Institute focuses on academics, skill development, tactical understanding, physical conditioning, sportsmanship and character building, college and university opportunities, personal growth, competition and exposure, injury prevention and safety, and enjoyment of the game.
You may find football academy programs like this in the U.S,, but what else is there in Canada?
Guebert said there’s nothing specifically like this in Canada.
“My vision always was ‘how can we serve the greater football community and reach as many people as possible.’ When the Sask DLC (Distance Learning Centre) started up a few years ago as a provincial body, Incorporated in all the school divisions, that was kind of the impetus to go, ‘hey, I think we can do this now.’
I didn’t want to only work with one school division and not include anybody else. The DLC has inroads in every school division, so partnering with them, the coolest thing is we’re like a satellite school for all these kids. So they’re with us during second semester, but they’re still members of whatever school they came from.”
How important was it to have a female component?
“The vision always was to have a female component but, honestly, that was driven by these parents and their families. And it couldn’t have worked out better. Those girls, they push our guys both on the field and in the classroom. They’re competitive as all can be and, like, their prowess and hunger for flag football is at the next level.
I think we have some future Olympic athletes in the mix here. And the cool thing is, we’re learning. We did officials training. We did coach training. We’re hoping that the kids who come out of this are involved in the football community for a long time.”
Who are the coaches running the Institute?
Guebert is joined by Chad Palmer (director of football operations, SMF), and teacher/coaches Lane Bryksa, Scott Hundseth, Brent Keeler, Dan Houle, Tyler Baier, Bret Thompson and Everett Iverson.
