After making the trip to Regina from Moose Jaw, Kasen Thomson looked a few months down the road.
He envisioned a football season that will include 1,000 new helmets — courtesy of the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation — for youngsters across the province.
“It’s pretty cool,” said Thomson, who proudly wears No. 50 for the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Minor Football League’s Raiders. “The helmets will be very comfortable.”
That is of considerable comfort to everyone involved in making the sport accessible to and safe for developing football players at all levels.
“It removes barriers for kids who want to play tackle football,” Cindy Fuchs, the Foundation’s Executive Director, said during a Thursday media conference at Leibel Field’s Kelly Hamilton Equipment Room.
“It gives kids the opportunity, if they want to take it to that next stage from flag football to playing tackle, to actually do it because we know they’ll have safe helmets and they actually have helmets to play.”
The “Equipping the Heartland” initiative calls for the purchase of 1,000 helmets, to be distributed to more than 125 football programs across Saskatchewan.
A total of $430,000 is being invested in the helmets as part of the Foundation’s 2025 contribution of $1.8 million to amateur football.
The money — an increase from the 2024 figure of $1.2 million — is generated by proceeds from ISC-sponsored 50/50 draws that are part of every CFL game that includes the Roughriders.
“A total of $1.8 million is incredible in this province of Saskatchewan,” Fuchs marvelled. “That’s more than our population, so a lot of people support amateur football out of our 50/50.”
The support was underlined on Thursday when the Foundation presented a cheque for $590,000 to Football Saskatchewan.
“We talked about (new helmets) three years ago and the Riders made it happen — the Rider Foundation made it happen,” Football Saskatchewan CEO Jeff Yausie said.
“It started as a safety initiative, because helmets have a lifespan. The cool part is that the 1,000 helmets are about 10 per cent of what we actually need and use out there. It’s a big number, obviously, to buy 1,000 helmets.”
The new headgear will be donned by youngsters representing teams and leagues of all sizes and descriptions, ranging from the rural-based, six-a-side version of the game to large-city high school teams.
“Really, it’s the fans and their support that’s allowing us to make today’s historic announcement,” said Roughriders President-CEO Craig Reynolds, who played an integral role in the establishment of the Foundation in 2019.
That same year, then-Roughriders centre Dan Clark earned All-CFL honours for the first time. Clark, who played in the Regina Minor Football ranks before proceeding to the Thom Trojans and Regina Thunder, attended Thursday’s announcement in his capacity as President of the Rider Alumni.
“I sat in my office today at work and I looked at my very first high school helmet,” Clark said. “I thought, ‘Wow … I used to play with somebody coming to put air in my helmet.’ Now you look at the helmets that are provided and they are second to none.
“The transformation in the helmet technology over the 20 years I’ve been in the football world is remarkable. Modern helmets are designed to absorb (contact) more effectively, reducing the risks of concussions and other head injuries.
“This initiative is crucial. It allows for the development of players not only at the youth level, but it allows them to be developed in high school and going into professional football. It allows you to continue to dream big and allows you to become a professional one day.”
The beginning of the Canadian professional football season is just over two months away. The 2025 CFL campaign is to begin on the first Thursday of June when the Roughriders oppose the Ottawa REDBLACKS at Mosaic Stadium.
“Football season is just around the corner and we can’t wait for the 2025 season to kick off in the Heartland on June 5,” Reynolds said.
“We hope we can start another record-breaking year for the 50/50 and amateur football in Saskatchewan.”
