Football life is natural fit for Valkyries’ Schenn

Sydney Schenn has become a Valkyries mainstay at OLB.

Sydney Schenn seemed predestined to play football due to her family’s links to the game.

Growing up in Moosomin, Sask., her father, Jason, coached the sport and is the general manager and president for Moosomin Generals minor football program. Her older brother, Wyatt, and younger brother, TJ, were both players. Schenn’s mother, Janelle, supported the family members in all their pursuits.

Schenn enjoyed getting into rough stuff with her brothers, which ultimately led her dad suggestion she join the football team. She joined the Generals program in Grade 6 and found the sport to be a natural fit.

“I liked the physicality and the aggression,” said Schenn. “I was very aggressive, and I fought with my brothers all the time and we wrestled.

“I could do it on the field instead of being in trouble in the house.”

These days Schenn is a 21-year-old linebacker with the powerhouse Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League. Now in her third season with the team, Schenn has become a mainstay at outside linebacker.

On Sunday, Schenn and the Valkyries (5-0 overall) will play in the WWCFL Championship Game against their provincial rivals the Regina Riot (3-2 overall) at 7:30 p.m. at Leibel Field in Regina. Schenn has helped the Valkyries win the WWCFL title in each of the past two years.

Last Sunday, Schenn had a huge outing at Saskatoon Minor Football Field as the Valkyries romped over the Manitoba Fearless 48-14 in a WWCFL semifinal. She recorded seven total tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Sydney Schenn makes a physical hit for the Valkyries.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable, and I feel more comfortable on the field,” said Schenn, who stands 5-foot-9. “I played nine-a-side in Moosomin, so moving to 12 was really different.

“I feel like I can figure out the game a lot more in 12-a-side better now in my third year.”

In Moosomin, Schenn played linebacker and defensive back, while also handling duties as a long snapper. She took the field for the Generals male teams from Grade 6 through to Grade 12 and suited up for the Generals under-18 female team when it was formed in 2018. With both the male and female programs, Schenn became a star player who piled up a number of awards and accolades.

Originally, Schenn elected to join the Riot in 2020 and play with them while she was still in high school. That campaign was ultimately cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world.

Right after graduating from McNaughton High School in Moosomin, Schenn played for the Riot in their three-game exhibition series against the Valkyries in July of 2021, when the all sports leagues in Canada started to take the first steps forward to resuming regular operation. She began studying in the psychology program at the University of Regina away from the game.

On the football field, Schenn started to wonder if she would find better chemistry with a new team.  

“I didn’t feel like I fit well with the Riot,” said Schenn. “I still wanted to play football, so I decided I was going to find somewhere else I could play.

Sydney Schenn gets to a ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage.

“I have a whole bunch of family here (in Saskatoon), so it was easier that I could just live with family.”

Schenn joined the Valkyries for the start of the 2022 campaign. She continued to pursue her studies at the U of R, but lives in Saskatoon when the Valkyries football season is on.

Valkyries head coach Pat Barry was happy to see Schenn join the team and already bring a sizable wealth of experience in the tackle game. 

A lot of the Valkyries newcomers join the team from the female flag football in Saskatoon. The fall of 2023 saw Saskatoon Minor Football roll out organized female tackle football for the city for players of high school age.

“Sydney comes from Moosomin, so she has played football for a long time,” said Barry. “She is a heavy tackler, and she is a physical player.

“She is really thriving in (defensive coordinator) Wyatt Carleton’s defence. We’re really impressed with how she is doing things in our thirty defence right now.”

While Schenn had a lot of experience in the game, Barry said the standout linebacker has grown a lot since joining the Saskatoon side.

“She has come like a huge distance,” said Barry. “She was a teenager when she first came to us.

Sydney Schenn (#57) tracks down a receiver downfield.

“Now as a young woman and an athlete, she is showing a lot of leadership and physical play. It is really great to have her on our team.”

With the Valkyries, Schenn found the chemistry she was looking for.

“They are such a hyped group,” said Schenn. “They’re great.

“It is just the best team environment that I’ve been a part of.”

One of Schenn’s most memorable moments came when the Valkyries won the WWCFL title game in her first season. In that title game clash played on June 25, 2022 at Saskatoon Minor Football Field, the Valkyries romped past the Fearless 36-6.

“That was my first championship as a player,” said Schenn. “Throughout my nine years in Moosomin, I never won a championship, so that was pretty cool to actually win a (title) game and go undefeated and actually win a championship.”

Now, Schenn wants to be part of another WWCFL title win with the Valkyries. 

Looking to the future, Schenn said she would like to play with the Valkyries for as long as she can, but she admits life opportunities that come away from the game will play a factor when it comes to staying with the club for a longer term.

“I’m not sure where life is going to take me after my undergrad,” said Schenn. “At least (I will play) maybe one more year.

Sydney Schenn (#57) enjoys playing football with the Valkyries.

“We’ll see if I go for my masters or where I go after that.”

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