Calgary Stampeders players and young athletes got a first look at three new flag football fields at Fonda Park in southeast Calgary at a community preview last Saturday. The City is building the fields with the Stampeders Foundation's 2026 Grey Cup Legacy Project, in response to growing interest in flag and touch football among kids and adults. Players Jaylon Hutchings and Folarin Orimolade joined a try-it session on the field, open to all ages.

Two of the three fields are finished and can be booked starting in April 2027. Construction on the third starts next spring. The project converts underused playfields, including a baseball diamond, while keeping the skate slab and playground. When the fields aren't booked for organized play, the public can use them for free.

Coun. Dan McLean said Fonda Park was chosen because it already has the transit access, parking and infrastructure to handle more use.

For YYC Flag Football League coach Logan Ruzycki, the draw is local access. "If you were a kid in this part of the city and wanted to play flag football, it usually meant a long drive," he said. He added that the sport is low-contact and needs little equipment, so kids of different sizes and skill levels can play together right away.

The Stampeders Foundation is putting $500,000 toward the project, alongside City funding. Stampeders president Jay McNeil said the point is simple: "You just need an opportunity to play the game."