July 8, 2019

Riders Working With Athlete Era To Grow Minor Football

Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Calgary Stampeders. July 6, 2019 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina. Derek Mortensen / Electric Umbrella

The Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club is proud to announce a new investment in the growth of football in Saskatchewan.

The Club has joined with Saskatoon-based app developer Athlete Era to put its app, AQ Coach, in the hands of minor football coaches across the province.

AQ Coach gives football coaches access to all of Football Canada’s educational resources, providing the best on-field experience for every young athlete. It includes a content library with a variety of drills, pre-designed practice plans, full-season plans and plays. It allows coaches to filter for flag or tackle football, as well as age, creating a customized experience for each team.

“The Saskatchewan Roughriders are always looking for new and innovative ways to grow the game of football and by helping provide the Coach AQ app to our province’s minor football leaders we are doing just that,” said Saskatchewan Roughriders President and CEO Craig Reynolds. “Volunteer coaches are the backbone of football in Saskatchewan and we’re thrilled to help give them the tools they need to excel, which in turn will help the players excel.”

“At Athlete Era, we are passionate about finding innovative ways to increase participation in physical activity,” said Athlete Era CEO Corey Edington. “By combining our technology with the Roughriders support in the province it will allow both organizations to further the growth and development of youth football.”

As part of its commitment to Northern Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Roughriders provided AQ Coach to 15 coaches involved in the Northern Saskatchewan Football League as an initial pilot of the app.

Since then, its reach has only grown. AQ Coach is now being implemented by 130 Saskatoon Minor Football teams, 247 Regina Youth Flag Football teams and by teachers in the Northern Lights School District. Outside of Saskatchewan it’s used by 1,000 teams in Great Britain and has launched in Nova Scotia and Ottawa.