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Saskatoon’s Ella Sowden was expecting to leave SMF Field on Wednesday morning with a few new shirts.
Instead, she walked across the field in front of her Institute of Saskatchewan Football teammates to accept a life-changing scholarship to continue her flag football career.
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“This was a complete surprise,” Sowden said. “I thought this was like a Lululemon drop. I didn’t think I won. I was supposed to interview with them tomorrow, so definitely a big surprise.”
Sowden, 18, said she was blindsided with the Women’s Flag Football International Scholarship, which is given to elite international athletes pursuing the sport at a post-secondary level by the NFL and RCX Sports Foundation.
While the full monetary amount was not disclosed, Sowden received a “significant five-figure scholarship” which will go towards tuition at Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky, where she’ll continue her flag football career with the Blue Raiders.
“It means a lot to me, because I’ve been working towards this for so long,” Sowden said.
“I know that a scholarship like this can help so many young flag players all over the world. Me being able to represent this scholarship, this foundation and the NFL, and just youth sports, is an incredible opportunity.”
Sowden’s family was on hand at SMF Field when she was surprised with the scholarship, which the new Centennial Collegiate graduate said made for a special moment after the presentation.
“The fact that they hid this for me so well, it’s crazy,” Sowden said. “This is the best grad gift I could actually hope for.”
Special moment at SMF Field as Saskatoon’s Ella Sowden has been awarded the International Women’s Flag Football Scholarship by the RCX Foundation and NFL.
— Scott Roblin (@ScottRoblin) June 24, 2026
Sowden, who plays with the Institute of Saskatchewan Football, has received a five-figure scholarship.@CKOMNews @CJMENews pic.twitter.com/Q0t4VAZt4n
Only two women in the world received the scholarship this year, with the other recipient being Kansas Wesleyan University defensive back and wide receiver Laura Hernández Sánchez, who is originally from Spain.
Sowden first discovered flag football three years ago, and has spent the past two seasons competing with the Institute of Saskatchewan Football program.
Executive director Brian Guebert said there’s no one more deserving of the scholarship.
“Ella is fantastic,” Guebert said.
“She’s a leader. She’s just a daily grinder. She works hard in the gym, on the field, and then provides leadership to our next generation of female athletes. It’s awesome to have a role model like that, and somebody that our future girls can look up to.”
A standout member of the Saskatchewan U18 provincial flag football team as a defensive back, Sowden has showcased her skills at national senior women’s identification camps and is a coach with the Tykes on Spikes program.
Emmarae Dale, defensive co-ordinator for the ISF girls flag football team, said the recognition is incredibly important to the growth of the sport in Saskatchewan.
“Ella is the most deserving kid,” Dale said.
“She’s worked so hard and has been so dedicated to flag. We have worked really hard to make flag a real opportunity here in Saskatchewan, so to see something like that come to fruition on an international level is just so exciting to see.”
While her time in the Saskatoon program is nearing its conclusion and her collegiate career is right around the corner, Sowden said she still feels a strong connection to SMF Field and all the snaps she’s taken there over the past three years.
“A lot of hard work,” Sowden said. “A lot of time put into it. A lot of weekends spent at the field. A lot of my time spent here. This has become my second home.”
Women’s flag football has exploded in popularity in recent years, and not only is the sport being featured more prominently at the U Sports and NCAA levels in Canada and the United States, bit it will be on full display at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, when flag football makes its Olympic debut.
Guebert said elite-level athletes are starting to earn more opportunities to play, including their group of women and girls in Saskatchewan.
“It speaks to the direction the game is going,” Guebert said. “Just how much more potential we have to grow and the high-performance opportunities that are going to be available for our girls right here in Saskatoon.”
Sowden will get the chance to keep playing with the Blue Raiders while pursuing a four-year degree in sports management at Lindsey Wilson. She said it’s an opportunity to unite her athletic and academic goals, which is something she hopes other girls in the province can aspire to in the coming years.
“I hope I’m an inspiration to others,” Sowden said. “I’d like to say I am, especially for young girls and keeping them in sports, showing them what flag football can produce and the opportunities around it.”
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