Hucul, Blackwell part of stacked S’toon Sports Hall of Fame class

Jenni Hucul, right, shakes hands with 2024 Hall of Fame class members. 

Jenni Hucul was once the fastest 14-year-old girl in the world.

Actually, she still holds the record for the fastest 50-metres ever run by a 14-year-old girl at 6.38 seconds set indoors back on February 8, 2003. In Saskatchewan’s track and field scene, Hucul has folk hero status with the numerous junior high school and high school records she still holds.

The 100-metre and 200-metre dashes were her specialty. She went to the World Youth Championships in 2003 in Sherbrooke, Que., and the World Juniors in 2006 in Beijing, China.

In June of 2005 late in her Grade 11 school year at Bishop James Mahoney High School, Hucul tore her Achilles tendon near her left heel. She came back to the sport but was no longer the phenom record setter that she was before her injury.

She continued with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Women’s Track and Field Team for a season winning bronze in sprint hurdles in 2007. She switched over to bobsleigh for a season becoming a member of Bobsleigh Canada’s program in 2007-08.

In bobsleigh, Hucul finishes third in the two-person event with Alberta’s Lisa Szabon in nationals at Canada Olympic Park in October of 2007. She won silver in the mixed bobsleight-skeleton team event at the 2008 FIBT World Championships in Altenberg, Germany, in February of that year.

On Thursday during a news conference at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre building on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds, Hucul, who is now 36-years-old, was announced as one of the athlete inductees for the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 class. The official induction dinner will take place on November 2 at Prairieland Park.

“It is kind of like that after sport dream come true, because in sport, you want to go to the Olympics,” said Hucul. “After sport, it is just amazing to feel recognized after 20 years.

“I’m no spring chicken anymore. It is amazing just to feel like my name is still present, and I can still make some more accomplishments.”

Jenni Hucul broke numerous records in her track and field career.

Hucul has times she wishes she could go back in time to be a kid again running races and setting records. She remembers those days being a tonne of fun, and she enjoyed getting to see her friends every day.

When it comes the Achilles injury she dealt with, Hucul has times she things about the “what ifs” had that injury never happened. With that noted, she is a peace with how her track and field career went.

“The story is what the story was,” said Hucul, who stands 5-foot-9. “If it didn’t happen the way it did, it just wouldn’t have been.

“I think that is part of it is, yeah, I would have loved to go to the Olympics. I would have loved to have competed into my late 20s or early 30s. That is just unfortunately not what my story was.

“I still really appreciate all the fun opportunities I got, when I got them when I was healthy. It is always in the back of your head where you are like, ‘Ah, Olympics would have been cool.’ A lot of things would have been cool.”

These days, Hucul still does coaching with an inner city track and field program at the Saskatoon Field House. She enjoys cheering on and seeing others from Saskatoon like Michelle Harrison, who has won three straight Canadian 100-metre women’s hurdles titles, excel and go further than she did in the sport.

Hucul hears on a frequent basis that she is still remembered. One of her friends who coaches in the sport said all her athletes knew who Hucul was, and it was cool seeing all the records she still has and how fast she was.

“I think I find it surreal, because again when I was doing it, it was just fun,” said Hucul. “It wasn’t for me being like, ‘I’m going to be the fastest in the world, and I am going to be the best.’

“It was, ‘I’m going to go, and I’m going to have fun and hey, I am really good at this and this is really fun and I am doing well and let’s keep doing it.’ It is kind of fun for like the kids like my sister’s kids. They are like, ‘Auntie you have a record.’

“I’m like, ‘Yes. You have a cool auntie’ when I am not. It is OK. I like to think I am cool.”

Dione (Meier) Blackwell with the Carnduff Southeast Steelers in 2022.

Joining Hucul as part of the 2024 class is one of the best softball pitchers Saskatoon has ever produced in Dione (Meier) Blackwell. She was a member of provincial championship teams in bantam, midget and junior.

Blackwell developed a stellar rise ball pitch, and she would become a member of Canada’s Senior National Women’s Softball Team. She was a relief pitcher for Canada in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Blackwell said it was an honour to named to the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame. She was excited to be part of the class that sees the DBJ Leasing Senior Women’s Softball Team from 2000 that won a Canadian Championship enter the Hall in the team category as well.

“The coolest thing is getting inducted with DBJ (Leasing), because when I was a teenager, that was the team that I started facing that kind of changed my outlook on the sport,” said Blackwell. “Stacey (Thomson) was there.

“Jacki (Nichol) was there. They talked about Carla (Agarand). They showed me so much by playing against them and kind of the potential that was ahead.

“They kind of brought along us younger girls and paved the way for us as well. It is just cool. It is a full circle experience.”

Blackwell said the most memorable moment of her career was getting to go to the Olympics in 2008.

“Obviously going to the 2008 Olympics, it still feels pretty surreal,” said Blackwell, who stands 5-foot-6. “It is kind of like you finally made it.

Dione (Meier) Blackwell, left, shakes hands with Stan Holcomb.

“It is all your hopes and dreams as a kid watching the Olympics on TV. It is kind of when everything comes together and is something I’ll hold on to forever.”

Blackwell is proud to be part of the storied softball history in Saskatoon. At age 42, she still gets into games here and there. She helps out with coaching when she can, but add she is having fun coaching her nine-year-old son in baseball in the current day.

Along with coaching, Blackwell enjoys seeing the young generation of pitchers that have trained in Saskatoon go on and have success like Jorde Chartrand and Emma Frisky. Chartrand just finished her junior season with the University of North Carolina Greensboro Spartans in the NCAA Division I ranks. 

Frisky got to play for Canada’s under-18 Women’s National Team that played at the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation Americans Pan Am Championship this past March 30 to April 6 in Monteria, Colombia.

“It is cool, and I’m so proud of the community that we can keep producing those girls that do well provincially, nationally and even internationally,” said Blackwell. “They’re working hard, and they’re putting in the work.

“If I can just teach them one little thing that might help them in any moment in their career, it is amazing.”

Also heading to the Hall in the athletes category are Elan Ballantyne and Stan Holcomb for their exploits in multiple sports.

The three builders in the 2024 class include Ron Boden in athletics, Todd Hinds in wrestling and Brenda O’Connor in both soccer and athletics. The Lee Morrison Curling Rink from 2009 that won the Canadian masters 60 and older national championship are heading to the Hall in the team category.

Members of the 2024 class for the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

The Saskatoon Valkyries Women’s Football Team was named the Sports Organization of the Year.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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COVID-19 pandemic forces world to face mental health

A Bell Let’s Talk toque with sports items I’ve collected over the years.

Over this past year, people have been forced to meet the elephant in the room face to face.

Those meetings aren’t equal for everyone. For some, the elephant has been a small problem that causes frustration like replacing a rim of a car tire after encountering a pot hole.

For others, it feels like the elephant is Brock Lesnar who has you cornered in a UFC octagon cage, and he is coming to smash the crap out of you.

During the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it seems unavoidable that everyone in the world has faced a mental health challenge or adversity at this point. The extent of those challenges seems to go all over the map.

Everyone is dealing with the fact their lives are not like they once were.

On my own front, I have known I have battled with issues dealing with anxiety since 2012. Actually, I have to admit I see myself doing a lot better on that front than I did six years ago.

I’ve spent more time in my home office than in past years.

I write about my experiences on the mental health front in hopes it will help others. Since 2016, I’ve kept up with a tradition where I write a post regarding mental health on Bell Let’s Talk day.

There is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles. Over the past year, people have had to face the elephant more so than likely at any time in the past.

In North America, shutdowns and restrictions started to come into play in a serious way on March 11, 2020. That was the day the NBA paused its 2019-20 regular season, and it seemingly started a domino effect with shutdowns and restrictions.

In Canada, the restrictions in some parts of the country are the tightest they have ever been. In Saskatchewan, a provincial government announcement was made on Tuesday extending the current tight Public Health Orders for a slowdown through to February 19.

Residents in Saskatchewan have a little more freedom to do things in their daily lives compared to the other three provinces in Western Canada. Alberta and Manitoba are experiencing fairly strict lockdown measures.

My life in 2019 talking up Brett Leason (#20). (Photo by Darryl Leason)

With that noted, life in Saskatchewan is far from what it was a year ago at this time.

One of my friends in Rod Pedersen, who does work in the addictions and recovery field on top of his more famed sports broadcasting roles, has consistently stated he has learned of two definitions for the word “trauma” in his dealings on the mental health front. Trauma situations are “any situation your brain can’t comprehend” or “a deeply distressing or disturbing event.”

The shutdowns and restrictions that have happened during this pandemic have been something that most in the world likely would never conceive happening a year ago at this time.

Even at this time, the COVID-19 pandemic fits in the descriptions of “a situation your brain can’t comprehend” or “a deeply distressing or disturbing event.”

When I step back and look at the big picture, I believe I have been in a better situation than most.

I did a lot more biking around Saskatoon in 2020.

I feel my past experiences on the mental health front have helped me navigate the seemingly everyday changes that have come with the pandemic.

Since March 12, 2020, I have only covered two hockey games. I do miss covering football and hockey games in no particular order the CJFL, SFU18AAAHL, SMAAAAHL, U Sports, WHL and WWCFL. I’ve really missed seeing my friends on all those circuits.

In recent days, my mind often thought about people I haven’t seen in a while now on the WHL front. My life on the sports media front has pretty much disappeared.

In response as cliché as it sounds, I have focused on one day at a time.

I’ve continued to work as the communications coordinator at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex on part-time hours. That has kept my mind active and busy and given me something to look forward to.

I’ve also used that pandemic to rediscover other recreational pursuits I used to do like playing Madden football, watching WWE or checking out old 1980s episodes of G.I. Joe, Transformers and Robotech. In summer, I did way more biking than I have done in past years.

The situation in the current day includes wear more facemasks.

I’ve spend more time with my mom, because I’ve worked from home quite a bit and haven’t been on the road. To me, I’ve felt that has been a huge bonus and blessing.

My line of work involves checking out social media lines on a daily basis. I see every day others are not doing as well as I am.

In my mind over the last few days, I have been struggling with what I want to say in this annual post, because I can see others are not doing as well as I am.

One of the toughest parts over the past year was hearing news from my old 10-year home in Medicine Hat, Alta., of friends having taken their own lives. There were days I did feel absolutely gutted.

I know the first time I return to Medicine Hat will be emotional for me knowing what has happened on that front.

At the beginning of my mental health journey, I always believed that if I just continued to grind and work hard on a day to day basis, be a good person and do the right things that good things in life would ultimately unfold in my favour despite difficulties. That would be especially true, if I was in the right on the big issues.

I have missed fun moments like this in the WHL.

I ultimately learned that you can do everything right and still fail. I also learned that life isn’t fair, and it won’t bend to make you happy even when you do everything right or are in the right.

When I check out social media lines, I see a lot of people in the spot where I was at the beginning of my mental health journey. They are to different extents learning that life isn’t fair.

I also know I am not counsellor, psychologist or social worker. I can lend an ear and listen.

When it comes to mental health, you need different games plans for each individual.

In order to figure out that plan, I will advise friends to seek out the help of a professional. In some cases, you might need to actually see a professional just once or twice to figure that plan out.

In other cases, it might take more visits with a professional to figure out the best path in the journey.

For myself, I have a lot more awareness. I am lot more alert to when I am off and what triggered me to being off. That alertness helps me pull myself out of funk.

My look at the Art Hauser Centre on November 21, 2020.

With that said, what works for me isn’t what is going to work for everyone.

There is so much in life that can’t be controlled.

I pray everyone that is struggling can find their path to navigate the waters in their mental health journeys.

If that first step requires someone to lend an ear, I will do my best to stop and listen.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. My Bell Let’s Talk post from last year called “A big mental health challenge is learning to take a break” can be found right here. A piece from 2019 called “Those facing mental health challenges can still be great in all parts of life” can be found right here. A piece from 2018 called “Being content can become a mental health challenge” can be round right here. A piece from 2017 called “Recognizing and respecting triggers is key for mental health” can be found right here. A piece from 2016 called “Feeling connected calms the mental health seas” can be found right here. A piece called “My Mental Health Story” can be found right here. Another post I like that I wrote in February of 2015 about my mental health journey call “Huskies hockey was good for me” can be found right here.

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Dale makes history as Hilltops first female player

LB starred with WWCFL’s Valkyries before going to CJFL

Emmarae Dale practises with the Hilltops on Tuesday.

    Emmarae Dale will always hold a special place in the history of the venerable Saskatoon Hilltops.
    On Tuesday, the Hilltops, who have won 22 CJFL titles and the last six CJFL championships in a row, officially added Dale to their roster making her the first female player to play on the storied team. It is believed Dale will be the first female player to suit up in the CJFL.

    The 22-year-old linebacker comes to the Hilltops after starring for four seasons with the Saskatoon Valkyries from 2016 to 2019 helping them win Western Women’s Canadian Football League titles in 2016 and 2019.

    The Hilltops posted the announcement on all their social media accounts Tuesday morning, and the news of Dale joining the squad has gone viral. The current modern version of the Hilltops first took the field in 1947.

    Before the Hilltops hit the field for practice on Tuesday night at Ron Atchison Field, Dale said she enjoyed the excitement of the day.

Emmarae Dale runs back the ball after an interception drill on Tuesday.

    “It kind of feels like the first day I was playing all over again like just jitters and excitement,” said Dale. “It has been an emotional roller-coaster pretty much like since the moment that they posted it.

    “It has been really exciting, and it has been awesome to see all the positive feedback and the support that people have, especially in terms of just growing football as a sport.”

    The wheels on bringing Dale on board with the Hilltops started to roll early this year. One day when the Hilltops were holding an indoor practice at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, Dale crossed paths with Hilltops defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jeff Yausie.

    Yausie was Dale’s head coach with the Valkyries in 2016 and her defensive coordinator in 2017. He presented Dale with the idea about joining the Hilltops.

Emmarae Dale (#45) made lots of big plays for the Valkyries.

    “I figured I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by, so here we are,” said Dale, who stands 5-foot-6.

    When Yausie approached Dale about joining the Hilltops, she was completing her fourth season as a member of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s track and field team specializing in throwing events.

    She helped the Huskies win a third straight Canada West team championship this past season. After the U Sports track and field campaign wrapped up, Dale was expecting to join the Hilltops for workouts around the middle of March, but the coronoavirus (COVID-19) pandemic took hold.

    By March 13, most of the shutdowns in the sports world in North America had taken place, and Dale was wondering if her chance to join the Hilltops was going to fade away.

Emmarae Dale (#45) makes a take down for the Valkyries in 2019.

    “I was supposed to go to my first practice with them right after COVID hit,” said Dale. “COVID hit on Friday (March 13) and everything was shut down.

    “I wasn’t able to go to practice, so I thought maybe this just isn’t going to happen anymore. Then things kind of still kept rolling kind of throughout isolation. We got my eligibility all approved and extended.

    “Yeah, it worked out.”

    The Valkyries WWCFL season that usually runs in May and June was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 6, the 2020 CJFL season was officially cancelled due to the pandemic as well.

    On Sept. 8, the CJFL announced players that were slated to turn 22-years-old and 21-years-old for the 2020 campaign would be granted an extra year of eligibility. Those players that would have been 22-years-old this season can play in 2021, and players that would have been 21-years-old this season can play through to 2022.

Emmarae Dale (#45) liked to make big hits for the Valkyries.

    All of Dale’s paper work that needed to be completed to allow her to join the Hilltops was processed before August 6, which made her eligible for the 2021 campaign.

    Last week, the Hilltops began practicing three times a week for a period of six weeks, and Dale took part in those workouts. That led up to the Hilltops officially announcing she would be a member of the team on Tuesday.

    She is also following in the footsteps of her older brother in Anthony and Donovan, who played for the Hilltops in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

    Legendary Hilltops head coach Tom Sargeant said it was a “no-brainer” to add Emmarae Dale to the Hilltops, when Yausie approached him with the idea.

Emmarae Dale (#45) can provides strong pass coverage on defence.

    “Number one, she is a Dale, and that has been a great name in the Hilltops legacy and tradition of what we do,” said Sargeant, who is the all-time career wins leader for post-secondary football in Canada. “Number two, we just loved the energy and how she competes and gets after things.

    “We’re just excited to coach her and try to help enhance some of her skill set. Ultimately, it is going to be up to her to get out there and make the plays and help the Hilltops win. As I said, we’re excited to have her.

    “She has a great attitude and a great work ethic. It is the kind of people we look for.”

    Sargeant said Dale’s athletic ability stands out, and you could tell she had put in a lot of good time at Ignite Athletics, where most of the Hilltops train and where Dale also works the front desk.

    “She puts in the time and energy to make herself in top condition, strong and physical,” said Sargeant. “She is very explosive, plays low and really rallies and gets to the ball.

Emmarae Dale (#45) allows Ehjae Chan (#24) to create a turnover.

    “We’re just real excited to be around her, and you can see all that hard work she has been doing. It has been paying off. She moves and grooves real easy out on that field.”

    Dale’s transition to the Hilltops was made easier by the fact she already knew a number of the veteran players having trained with them at Ignite for a number of years. She said there were some new faces she still had to get used to, but she still hit the ground running with the team.

    “It was more comfortable coming in just because I know a lot of the guys from working out with them and doing on field sessions with them,” said Dale. “I didn’t know everybody, so I kind of felt like I was on an island at first just because I am not going to have the same camaraderie that they have.

    “They’ve already have been super welcoming, and it made me feel just one of the team. It has been good.”

    Sargeant was pleased that the CJFL has been supportive of the Hilltops adding Dale to their roster. 

Emmarae Dale (#45) sizes up a play at the line of scrimmage.

    The energetic sideline boss said Dale is on the team because she can make plays.
    “We have a long time to prep and get this all ready and get her ready, so when the season starts, she is out there making an impact for the Hilltops so we can get out there and start winning games again,” said Sargeant. “That is what we love to do, and we want her to be a part of that.”

    Dale said she can’t wait to hit the field for game action with the Hilltops for the first time. She plans to use the extended preparation period to reach new heights in her play.

Emmarae Dale (#45) enjoys a WWCFL championship win in 2019.

    “I’m just excited to get bigger, faster and stronger and just getting better as an athlete, bulking up as much as I can of course just to match up with these guys out here,” said Dale. “I’m excited just to stay healthy and just keep getting better at football and just living and breathing football for the next year and gearing up for 2021 and hopefully bringing home a ‘ship’ (championship).”

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.

Completed summer season huge accomplishment for Sask. baseball, softball

Nothing comes easy for sports in COVID-19 world

A Saskatoon Selects pitcher fires in a pitch.

    Everyone involved with minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan came away winners in 2020.
    They came away winners because those sports were able to have a summer season. During these times that has the world caught in the grips of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the fact a sports body was able to have a season should be considered a major accomplishment.

    On a cool, crisp and picturesque Thursday night at the diamonds at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, local leagues played out their final games of the 2020 campaign. With most leagues first hitting the field on July 6, close to two full months of baseball and softball was played in Saskatchewan.

    That is likely far more action than most expected to see in those sports. The games on Thursday were watched by modest groups of spectators that physically spaced apart from each other around the diamonds.

    Teams were able to play for city championships and house league championships. In the case of the Under-18 AAA Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League, they were able to hold a championship game for a circuit that had teams around the province.
    On August 23 at Optimist Park in Regina, the Sask Five Giants from Martensville slipped past the host Regina Athletics 2-0 to capture the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League crown in a one game showdown.
    The odd league was slated to host post-season games this coming weekend.

A Saskatoon Outlaws pitcher chucks in an off-speed pitch.

    Of course, players, coaches and team staffers were disappointed there were no big provincial or Canadian championship tournaments to go to in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

    Still, it didn’t seem to be lost on anyone that took part in games that it was a good thing they got to play games. In some cases, there might have been a new found appreciation for being able to play games.

    Most of the spectators that usually turned out during the season were friends and family members of the players, but it was still great for them to have something to look forward to during the week and somewhere to go.

    During a normal year, the bulk of the baseball regular seasons are usually played in May and June.
    Teams that play in July and August are some of the few that have won enough to take part in a provincial champion or national championship tournament.

    Considering there was a very real possibility there could be no season at all, what took place from July 6 through to Thursday felt like a welcomed thing that injected some normalcy into life.

    Memories were made during practices and games. For a few hours, players, coaches and staffer were able to get their minds off what was happening in their daily lives.

The Sask Five Giants ran to a Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League title.

    On the field, some great athletic performances took place too. Sometimes one forgets how well these teams in local leagues can play ball.

    Overall, all those involved with minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan proved it is possible to play sports during a pandemic created by an easily transmitted virus.

    That meant paying attention to extra precautions like no post-game handshakes between teams after game, frequent use of sanitizers and having people stay home who are sick, even if it is just a minor illness.

    The fact minor baseball and softball in Saskatchewan were able to complete campaigns in 2020 helps increase the optimism for other sports it is possible to play during these crazy times.

Hat High retires use of “Mohawks,” “Kwahommies,” other notes

Quinton Slack tears downfield during a 2012 Hat High practice.

    Despite support in Medicine Hat for the monikers, it seemed like it was only time before Medicine Hat High School elected to change the names of its sports teams.

    That time came on Thursday when principal Boris Grisonich announced at a press conference in the school’s gym that Hat High was discontinuing the use of “Mohawks” for its boys teams and “Kwahommies” for its girls teams.

    Of course, Hat High was continuing a trend that has gone on for the last about 20 years with various stops and starts of sports teams at all levels of sports in North America electing to no longer use team nicknames that come from First Nations. The changes were made due to concerns about racism.

    The only program immune from that trend is the Florida State University Seminoles of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. That comes from the fact the Seminole Tribe in Florida has officially sanctioned that post-secondary institution to use the names and images associated with Seminole history.

    In Hat High’s case, Grisonich said the decision to retire the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names had been years in the making. The “Kwahommies” name was developed by spelling “Mohawks” backwards.

    Grisonich said no new name has been picked and the school teams will play under just the Medicine Hat High School name for the 2020-21 campaign and use the institution’s “M” logo.

Grisonich said with what has been going on the world lately it made now a good time to retire the “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” names.

    In 2020, the world has been caught in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic and more involved talks around racism with the Black Lives Matter moment that originated in the United States.

The Hat High football team’s defence gets a gang tackle in 2012.

    After the start of the Black Lives Matter moment, the NFL’s Washington franchise decided to drop the name “Redskins” after facing pressure from sponsors. After the change with Washington’s NFL team, the CFL’s community owned Edmonton franchised decided to drop the name “Eskimos.”

    Back in 2015, Suzanne Tripp, who graduated from Hat High in June of that year, had a petition going to try and get the names of Hat High’s sports teams changed. At that time, it was decided to continue with the use of “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies.”

    The Hat High football teams did use the “Redskins” moniker in the 1950s and early 1960s, and few people in Medicine Hat remember the use of that name in the current time. Had “Redskins” still been in use after the 1960s, that name likely would have been changed about a decade or two earlier from the present time.

    With all that noted, the Medicine Hat High School teams when they went by the names “Mohawks” and “Kwahommies” were associated with the characteristics pride, honour and class.

    When you think of the Hat High sports teams, you picture football head coach Quinn Skelton guiding the Green and White to another win. Skelton, who was named the NFL Canada youth coach of the year in 2008, has been the head coach of the school’s football and rugby teams since the 1990-91 season.

    Over the decades, he has had a huge positive impact on his players and also the students at Hat High from his role as a teacher in that school. Very few are held in as high regard amongst the student body at school as Skelton is at Hat High.

Hat High HC Quinn Skelton, left, with Nathan Coehoorn in 2014.

    Alums like Dan Federkeil, who is a former offensive lineman with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts and the Calgary Stampeders, and Nathan Coehoorn, who is a former receiver with Edmonton’s CFL team, will always be part of Hat High’s storied sports history.

    The goes for Canadian track and field star Sage Watson.

    Memories of students doing the “Cha Cha Slide” during halftimes of football games at the Methanex Bowl will live forever.

    The great memories that have been made at Hat High will never disappear.

    Of course, there has been push back over the name change in Medicine Hat. All one has to do is look at the comments section from social media posts about the name change coming from the Medicine Hat News and CHAT Television media outlets.

    Over time, the hurt feelings will likely fade.

    Hat High will continue to build on its spectacular history, because of the quality people that are inside that institution.

• On Wednesday, Regina sports radio voice Michael Ball said his son Ethan has tested positive for COVID-19. Ethan is a freshman defensive back with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team and is down in Grand Forks, N.D. The Fighting Hawks play in NCAA’s Division I Football Championship Subdivision. Ethan is a graduate of Regina’s Riffel High School Royals football team. Michael interview Ethan for “The Growing the Game with Ballsy” podcast on Wednesday that can be found by clicking right here.
• On Wednesday, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed he, his wife and two children tested positive for COVID-19. In an Instagram video that lasted 11 minutes and 35 seconds, Johnson said his family is on the other side of the virus and they are no longer contagious. Johnson’s Instagram video can be found by clicking here.
• According to Worldometer at the time this post went live 878,133 people have died so far this year in the world due to the coronavirus. Also this year, Worldometer has reported 1,141,158 people in the world so far this year have died of HIV/AIDS, 727,946 died by suicide, 665,855 died by malaria, 571,650 people have died by water related diseases, 331,539 died by seasonal flu, and 209,820 mothers have died during birth.
• You get the feeling the way Dr. Bonnie Henry, who is B.C.’s provincial health officer, talks that restrictions regarding COVID-19 will like last well into 2021.
• On Wednesday, Dan Barnes of Postmedia reported nine positions were terminated at the CFL head office in Toronto and 20 staff members were furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The departed includes Steve Daniel, who was the league’s senior director of game information and statistics.
• On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported the NCAA plans to furlough its entire staff from its head office in Indianapolis, Indiana, anywhere from three to eight weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The furloughs will take place between Sept. 21 and the end of January of 2021. The NCAA’s Indianapolis office employees about 600 people.
• Way back on August 27, 1980, the Winnipeg Tribune news paper closed after a 90 year run. Patti Dawn Swansson and Gregg Drinnan posted tributes to the late publication on their respective blogs. Swansson’s piece can be found by clicking right here and Drinnan’s piece can be located by clicking right here.
• Back on this past Aug. 27, the City of Saskatoon reopened the Saskatoon Field House fitness and weight room and track and court area.
• On Thursday, Hockey Canada cancelled three events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They include the National Women’s Under-18 Championship set for Nov. 2-8 in Dawson Creek, B.C., the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup set for Dec. 6-12 in Bridgewater, N.S., and the World Junior A Challenge set for Dec. 13-20 in Cornwall, Ont.
• On the good news front, the Saskatoon Hilltops announced they will return to practice next week. Practices for the venerable club, which has won 22 CJFL title, will run from Tuesday to Thursday for six weeks.

View this post on Instagram

WE'RE BACK!!.... as much as you can be during a pandemic. We're starting practices next week - how exciting is that? We've scoured the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Government of Saskatchewan's return to play guidelines and we're confident we meet and exceed all health and safety protocols. These optional practices are our way of keeping our team as unified as possible, and providing the physical and mental health benefits of sport to our athletes. What will our practices look like? Smaller groups, hand sanitizer, little to no contact, hand sanitizer, waivers, temperature checks, hand sanitizer, COVID-19 screening, hand sanitizer, masks, hand sanitizer. If we could hose the guys down with sanitizer every ten minutes, we would. Practices will run Tuesday through Thursday for the next six weeks and we. cannot. wait.

A post shared by Saskatoon Hilltops (@saskatoon_hilltops) on Sep 4, 2020 at 12:36pm PDT

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Feeling an awful squeeze due to COVID-19 scare

One of the final recreation hockey games at Merlis Belsher Place.

    It feels like society is coming apart over the conoravirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

    Any time there is a new cancellation, postponement or measure enacted to try to curve the potential spread of COVID-19, it seems to trigger another round of panic.

    I myself feel like I am getting more and more unnerved.

    Of course, my life revolves around the sports world, especially the local sports world. I cover it on my blog and for various media outlets on a freelance basis.

    Since the start of January, I have served as the communications coordinator for the Gordie Howe Sports Complex.

    At the moment, the sports world is basically shut down. Even checking on Instagram today to find out Merlis Belsher Place would be closing on Monday almost created a panic attack.
    Just back on February 29, I covered the University of Saskatchewan Huskies men's hockey team winning a Canada West Conference title in that building.
    Another scare came from hearing Canadian Hockey League teams are sending their players home before travel bans become even more of a worry. The WHL’s Saskatoon Blades and Prince Albert Raiders both announced on Sunday they were sending their players home.

Most sports venues in Saskatoon sit empty.

    I am in my comfortable spot when I am interacting with the sports world or I am at a facility be it an arena, football field or court. At the moment, all of that has been taken away, and it makes me sad.
    I almost feel like I have to put in work to avoid depression.

    I have had many moments where I have fought off the feeling of being flat out scared.

    Early last week, I personally thought all the reaction to the coronavirus scare was overreaction. I believe it is something that needs to be taken seriously.
    I still think an overreaction has occurred, but that thought doesn’t amount to anything.

    When the NBA suspended play on Wednesday, that seemed to be the moment when the dominoes really started to tumble to bring the sports world to a halt.

    The powers that control the rest of the world are bringing in clamp down after clamp down. Basically, the horse has left the barn on that front, and all anyone can do is try to take a deep breath and react to the next seemly inevitable change that is about to come.

    Introverts might be good with the concept of social distancing.

    My gut feeling is this will be a struggle for most people. For myself, the idea of not having face to face social encounters is terrifying.

The players of the Raiders and Blades have been sent home.

    I still find in person encounters are the best way to establish connection and community, where messages passed in electronic form can be twisted in interpretation.

    I almost don’t want to check social media. I find there are extremes where some people think COVID-19 shouldn’t be a worry to others who believe the world is going to end tomorrow or a significant portion of the population is going to die.

    It feels like society is being squeezed. I believe I am not the only one that feels this way.

    On Saturday night, I went out to Outlaws, which a Saskatoon nightclub hotspot, and I encountered a tonne of people who felt squeezed too. Everybody who was out that night treated each other super well.

    It felt good just to go out and have a party and feel a release. It seemed everyone that was there was happy to just be having a good time.
    For at least a few hours, the worries of what was happening in the world were in the background of the mind.

I rarely take pictures at Outlaws, but it was great to see everyone have fun.

    Even when I work up this morning, it was great to see a number of social media posts from the fun skate the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA hockey team had in “Hockey Town North” on Saturday night.

    It is comforting to know you can still find upbeat social media posts that are a pick me up. It feels like it takes extra work to find them.

    I wonder when the world will get back to being normal. I can’t wait to get back to a sports venue to cover an event again.

    I know things are on hold to allow the medical experts to get a handle on COVID-19.

    I know it has been speculated that issues relating to liability and insurance have played a part in why the shutdowns have occurred in every walk of life. I believe those speculations have merit too.

    Organizations like Hockey Canada put sizable resources into risk assessment, and the experts working in that area in Hockey Canada do great work. I feel you have to lean to accepting their recommendations are right.
    Still, I am struggling with how the world has been since the start of Wednesday. I also have long stretches where I will be doing great.

The Huskies winning the Canada West title on Feb. 29 seems long ago.

    I had been thinking about typing this post for a couple of days just to put out how I am feeling. I think it helps me, and maybe it will help others.

    I figured this post would be a rambling one too.

    Even before writing it, I had to gather myself. I decided to work at the Starbucks just north of the University of Saskatchewan.

    I stepped into the store and was shocked to see all the tables and chairs pushed off to one side. I was told starting on Monday customers would only be able to go in for their orders, but wouldn’t be able to lounge inside the outlet.

    After a chat with the staff, I was able to calm down and get to work.

    I desperately want the freedom to see my friends and not to feel like I am being locked down.

    The only approach I can take is the approach I have been taking with life the last number of years. I just take things one day at a time.

    I try not to worry about tomorrow until the challenges of the current day are met.

I can’t wait to see everyone when the world is in a better state.

    I look forward to the COVID-19 scare coming to an end and being able to have the freedom to see you all again in a more joyful set of circumstances.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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A big mental health challenge is learning to take a break

Picture after finishing up work in the SaskTel Centre press box.

    In the current day and age when the pressures or time seem to get continually stressed, it seems tougher to disappear and take a break.

    Eventually, everyone, even those that see themselves as being healthy, need to say “No” to life’s stresses and take a break. When you come to think about it, they will always be there.

    Since 2012, I have known I have battled with issues dealing with anxiety. Actually, I have to admit I see myself doing a lot better on that front than I did five years ago or even last year.

    Still, there is still a stigma around mental health issues, and they are unfortunately still treated as the elephant in the room in too many circles.

    I write about my experiences on the mental health front in hopes it will help others. Since 2016, I’ve kept up with a tradition where I write a post regarding mental health on Bell Let’s Talk day.

    While I view myself as being a lot more healthy in the current day than I have even just a few years ago, I find I can accidentally fire off my anxiety, if it looks like I am going to bite off more than I can chew.

A Bell Let’s Talk toque with sports items I have collected over the years.

    One of the problems I have is saying “No” when people present projects to me. Being a freelance sportswriter and photographer by trade, my first thought about when I am presented an opportunity is figuring out how to make it fit into my schedule.

    Often, the opportunities first come when the schedule is light, and I figure I can let other things I need to tend to in my life slide in order to complete the obligations of an opportunity that comes up.

    With all that said, it seems when opportunities come they come in bunches and from all sorts of directions. Often, I will try and satisfy everyone, which all of sudden crowds my schedule too much and gets the heart racing about the future.

    Ultimately, a time will come when you have to step back and call for a “timeout.”

    You have to realize there are only a certain amount of hours in a day, and even the best time managers and multitaskers reach the limits of what they can do.

    What even makes things that much more difficult in my life is the fact I live a life where I work in the sports and media world.

When you cover sports events like WHL, it becomes a lifestyle.

    Those worlds are not an environment where you work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and come home and watch television or play on Youtube the rest of the night.

    When you work and are involved in the sports and media worlds, it is lifestyle. There is no hard line between being what most regard as at work or off.

    The rare times you go catch a movie or go for dinner at a nice restaurant would likely be some of those slim moments where you are “off.”

    For me, it feels like 80 per cent of the world doesn’t understand this lifestyle, so that can be a battle too.

    One of the pluses I find from the opportunities that have come my way is the fact lots of them over the past year have come from old friends and people I have known for a long time. A lot of times, you don’t want to say “No,” because you fear you are going to let someone down.

    Over the past year, two of the most cool opportunities that I took advantage of came during the Prince Albert Raiders run to winning the WHL title and appearing in the CHL championship tournament, - the Memorial Cup – last May.

I was happy Darryl Leason took this photo of me interviewing his son, Brett.

    I got to write articles for the Prince Albert Daily Herald for the special section that outlet put out on the Raiders going to the Memorial Cup. The Daily Herald is employee owned, and I love crew there.

    I worked as a sports writer for that outlet from 2001 to 2004, and it ended up being more special than I thought being back in the Daily Herald’s pages again.

    Before last May, I also penned a reflection piece on my time at the Daily Herald as part of the publication’s 125^th anniversary.

    The other opportunity from the Raiders WHL title run came from Peter Robinson getting back in touch with me. I hadn’t talked to Robinson for some time, and he oversees the creation of various publications for the CHL.

    He asked me to create the Memorial Cup program article on the Raiders, and that was a huge thrill. I enjoyed working with him again.

    Most recently, I agreed to become the communications coordinator for the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. I am still getting used to the ropes there, but they have a good bunch there.

Pictured with the Bell Let’s Talk toque at U of Saskatchewan.

    I am still finding time to pen some stories for the Davidson Leader too.

    As the last 12 months progressed, things just added up. Over summer I had to attend to a number of things in my life outside the sports and media world that I pushed off and had to be addressed.

    That came on the heels of what was a busy and fulfilling hockey season.

    Working on the items I needed to attend to bled into a very busy football season covering the CJFL’s Saskatoon Hilltops and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies football team in the U Sports ranks.

    When December 1, 2019 hit, I was complete drained of energy.

    I felt bad that with my brain in a state of mush that two great guys in Dan Senick and Cam Hutchinson came to me about helping them with the Davidson Leader. My mind was super clouded, and later on, I realized I couldn’t give them as big of a commitment as they hoped.

    It ended up being a much smaller commitment than they hoped. I felt bad letting them down on that front, but I felt it was the better decision for me.

    I am finding when I do say “no” to projects that people seem to be more understanding about it than I realized.

    Still, there were a number of things I wanted to cover last December, and I hit those things. When the new year hit, I finally took a break from producing anything for this blog.

    During the break, I went and saw “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” twice because I enjoyed it. 

I love working at the sports venues, but I realize it is great to take breaks.

    I think I settled my mind enough that I became comfortable in the decisions I made on what projects I took on and what I didn’t take on.

    It felt way better than I thought it would when I took my break. In the future, I will definitely look for windows to do that again, when I need to do it.

    I learned taking a break was good for me.

    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com. My Bell Let’s Talk post from last year called “Those facing mental health challenges can still be great in all parts of life” can be found right here. A piece from 2018 called “Being content can become a mental health challenge” can be round right here. A piece from 2017 called “Recognizing and respecting triggers is key for mental health” can be found right here. A piece from 2016 called “Feeling connected calms the mental health seas” can be found right here. A piece called “My Mental Health Story” can be found here. Another post I like that I wrote in February of 2015 about my mental health journey call “Huskies hockey was good for me” can be found here.

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    If you like what you see here, you might want to donate to the cause to keep independent media like this blog going. Should you choose to help out, feel free to click on the DONATE button in the upper right corner. Thank you for stopping in.