The City of Moose Jaw and the Sask. Selects Football program has come to terms on a three-year license agreement to give the Selects priority use at the Yara Centre. 

The Select's previous three-year agreement expires on Nov. 15. 

The Selects have been prime tenants at the Yara Centre since 2018. The program has about 200 athletes from across the province and runs several different football teams and football camps. 

“We talked about sports tourism and that type of thing and this is a great program that brings several people to our area to take advantage of the beautiful Yara Centre and get some pretty extreme training that is necessary if they want to move forward,” said City Manager Jim Puffalt. 

From November to the end of February, the program schedules each athlete for 50 hours of on-field time as well as film time and classroom time at the Yara Centre. 

While the Selects have run programs out of Regina and Weyburn in the past, they found that the Yara Centre gives them the capabilities to offer everything in one location. 

"They previously ran some of their programming in other cities at other facilities, but they truly feel that the Yara Centre is the best fit for their program due to the layout, the size of the field, and the additional space that they're able to access when holding their weekend camps,” said Parks and Recreation Director Derek Blais. 

The agreement includes a 15 percent discount on all Minor Facility Rates and Fees compared to set rates in previous years. The discount is subject to 500 hours booked during each turf season. 

The Selects will have dedicated office space and equipment storage space that can only be accessed by authorized personnel and is only offered on a seasonal basis. 

“In the previous agreement, they had year-round access to an office and storage space. That would now be provided on a seasonal basis, which would allow us to use that space when they're not in the facility home during their turf season,” Blais explained. 

Additional space and fitness centre space can be rented for the Selects’ camps at a 15 percent discount as well. 

“They typically have their strength and fitness coach or instructor that would take five to seven players in at a time,” Blais said. 

“So, with that, those five to seven players would pay the general admission fee to use that, but receive the 15 percent discount on it.” 

The agreement is expected to bring in about $6,000 more than it did in 2020/2021.