A Letter From Football Canada Chair of The Board of Governors, Jo-Anne Polak
Dear Football Family,
For as long as I’ve been involved in this incredible game, I’ve seen football bring out something special in people — teamwork, resilience, and an unshakable pride in representing your school, your city, and now, your country. It’s a game that teaches you who you are and what you stand for.
Today, I see that more than ever.
With Flag Football officially included in the 2028 Olympic Summer Games, our athletes have a new stage — one that millions around the world will be watching. And at long last, it’s an opportunity for Canada to definitively stake its claim as a football powerhouse.
It’s a moment that redefines what football can mean for Canada, and who it can belong to.
That’s why Football Canada has launched a national fundraising campaign to ensure Team Canada doesn’t just participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics, but competes to win gold. Through this initiative, we’re working to remove the financial burden from our athletes, strengthen the pipeline for future Olympians, and invest in the coaching, training, and culture that turn talent into history.
For far too long, our national athletes have carried both our flag and the financial weight of competing for it. That should never be the cost of pride. With your help, we can ensure that wearing the maple leaf is a privilege earned by effort, not by affordability.
Flag Football is growing faster than any other form of the game. You can read it in the news and feel it in our schools, our communities, and especially among women and girls who see new doors and opportunities within our sport opening every season. The energy is real, the momentum is undeniable, and the opportunity before us will define the next century of Canadian football.
Now is the time to stand behind our athletes — not just as fans in the stands, but as builders of something greater.
One of the greatest lessons this game has taught me is that progress never happens by chance; it happens because people decide it’s worth fighting for, and then work together to make it real. This is our time to make that decision for football in Canada.
Let’s make this moment count.
With pride and gratitude,
Jo-Anne Polak
Chair, Board of Directors
Football Canada
