NFL Flag Football fun leads photo roundup
Written by Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Jada Duchene is following in a family legacy.
The 20-year-old is a second-year receiver with the Saskatoon Valkyries powerhouse squad in the WWCFL. She is also the daughter of Michelle Duchene, who has been the team’s general manager since the club’s inception in 2011.
As Michelle has always been heavily involved with the Valkyries, Jada and her younger sister Halle grew up having the team in her life. Jada’s father, Eric Duchene, played in the CJFL for the Kelowna, B.C., based Okanagan Sun and in the U Sports ranks with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
While the football connections were strong, Jada and Halle were never pushed towards football. Jada grew up as a gifted player in both volleyball and basketball along with flag football.
Upon graduating from high school, she had options to pursue volleyball and basketball at the university level. She elected to stay home and play for the University of Saskatchewan Women’s Flag Football team and the Valkyries.
As a rookie last season with the Valkyries, Jada was thrown into a starting role at receiver after a number of the team’s veterans moved in different directions with their lives and elected not to return to the team. As a result, Jada played a sizable role in helping the Valkyries win their 10th WWCFL title in team history.
Our main feature for the May upload of “Howe Happenings” is a feature piece on Jada. She talks about what it was like growing up with the Valkyries in her life, who were some of the players she looked up to in the team’s early days and how special it is for her to be a player on the team now.
To go with the feature on Duchene, May’s “Howe Happenings” upload has a photo roundup that is anchored by photos from the fun that is had with the NFL Flag Football program overseen by Saskatoon Minor Football. It felt like NFL Flag play finally marked the end of winter working overtime. The photo roundup also has pictures of action from baseball, cricket, football and softball at the Indoor Training Centre, which had a busy April due winter hanging on.
You can find these items on the “Howe Happenings” blog at howehappenings306.blogspot.com.
New content will be released normally on the ninth day of each month. We hope you will enjoy the stories that make up the posts on the “Howe Happenings” blog.
