COLUMN: A Christmas touchdown

On a cold fall night, a two-hand touch football game turned into something far more meaningful. It became a symbol of trust, love and community for a local sports group.

Players from across SportsKlub Football gather following the conclusion of the fall season, which wrapped up with the Power Bowl championship games in November.

AS SEEN IN ORILLIAMATTERS: Christmas has a way of slowing time, if only for a moment. It invites reflection, not on what we achieved, but on who we shared the year with.

It pulls our focus away from pressure and noise and back toward the people, places and moments that gave the year meaning. For me, that reflection has kept circling back to a football field on a cold night in November.

The Power Bowl, the championship game of SportsKlub Football, was tied late under winter skies. Frozen fingers, tired legs, breath visible in the air.

It was the kind of moment where time seemed to stretch, and everything felt heavier. On fourth-and-goal from about 10-yards out, a pass was thrown into the front corner of the end zone. My wife, Tamara, caught it to seal the championship victory.

On paper, it was just a touchdown in a two-hand touch football game. In reality, it was one of the most meaningful moments of my life. The first thing I felt was pride and joy. It nearly brought me to tears. I had been carrying my own mental health struggles in the weeks leading up to that game, and in that single moment, it felt like proof that even when life feels heavy, something good can appear unexpectedly and brighten the darkness.

Time stood still as the play unfolded. My eyes were locked on Tamara as she ran the drag route, her signature all season. In the late summer, the two of us quietly worked on a variation, starting with the drag, then slipping upfield behind coverage. It wasn’t flashy, but it was simple, built on trust and repetition. She pulled it out at the perfect time.

What made the moment hit so deeply was everything it represented.

My wife, my favourite person in the world, caught the game-winning touchdown inside a universe my friends and I dreamed up when I was 10 years old. She was playing for our team named after my childhood dog, Augie, wearing uniforms that pay homage to my great-grandfather’s regiment from the Second World War. It felt like a full-circle moment, something out of 'It’s a Wonderful Life', where every chapter of mine seemed to connect at once.

There was another layer that made it even more meaningful.

Before that final drive, I took myself off the field and signalled to Tamara that I was subbing her in. She pointed to herself in disbelief and mouthed, “Me?” She was surprised I wanted her out there for the biggest moment of the season.

As a kid, my joy in sports came from winning big games and earning bragging rights.

As an adult, that has changed. Now, the greatest satisfaction comes from seeing friends, family, and especially my wife have moments that light them up, moments that become their own sports memories. If I had caught the game-winning pass myself, it wouldn’t have come close to meaning as much. Seeing her shine, seeing her excitement, that’s what matters to me now.

I subbed myself out simply to give her the chance to be part of something special. Admittedly, I never imagined she would be the one to make the magic happen.

The quarterback on that drive, one of our closest friends, Braeden Price, delivered the throw under pressure not because of heroics, but because of trust.

The sideline erupted, not with trash talk or chest-pounding, but with genuine joy. Teammates weren’t celebrating themselves; they were celebrating her. That difference matters.

Having Tamara involved in SportsKlub means the world to me. When we first met, she wanted me to play co-ed ball hockey with her at a local club, and I refused. I knew how competitive environments can turn, and I didn’t believe there was a space where we could play together safely and comfortably. I never imagined we’d share sport like this.

But SportsKlub has become exactly that kind of space. A place where egos are checked, where players are mindful of different skill levels, and where everyone feels welcome and safe. Sharing an hour each week running around under the lights with our friends instills something good in my soul every single time.

After the game, I kept looking at her and saying, “I can’t believe you’re real.”

I’m incredibly fortunate that my wife is someone who will come out, hang out with the guys, play football, and be a real difference-maker in the games.

We had several other women join this season, making plays, adding energy, and strengthening the environment. I’m proud that SportsKlub has grown into a place where all genders and skill levels feel comfortable and valued.

That moment tied directly into something deeper. Being out there together, as part of something she has helped shape and support over the years, felt like an extension of our marriage. She doesn’t just support the time and effort I put into SportsKlub; she’s a major part of it. That’s something I don’t take for granted.

SportsKlub isn't about trophies or titles. It's about creating a place where people belong. That idea lives through touch football and ice hockey, with plans to expand into softball in the spring or summer of 2026.

But SportsKlub is not a traditional adult recreational league, and it’s not for everyone.

Anyone who has spent time in beer league sports has likely seen it. Adults screaming at officials. Cheap shots. Fistfights over missed calls. People showing up drunk, angry, or carrying life’s frustrations onto the field. Some of the things I’ve experienced in other leagues are simply unfathomable.

Sports are meant to be a healthy outlet. A place to set goals, fail, learn, try again, and grow, physically and mentally. Team sports, especially, require trust, respect and love built over time. That’s why the best teams are often families off the field as much as on it.

At SportsKlub, while we break into teams, we’re all on the same page. We compete with and against each other, laugh, do our best, then shake hands, hug, and thank each other for the chance to have that outlet. Nothing is personal. No one is out there to prove something to someone else, but rather themselves. Maybe it’s a man in his 70s playing alongside his son, proving to himself he can still move and setting an example about staying active.

Maybe it’s someone who can barely skate but keeps showing up to better themselves. Maybe it’s a young group of players who lose most of their games but stick together, improve each week, and push a top seed to overtime in the playoffs. At this level, that’s what sport is supposed to be.

SportsKlub isn’t a place to unleash anger or frustrations from life. It’s a place to breathe. It's a place where the laugh of a teammate, or a hand up from an opponent, can make the weight of life feel lighter. We self-officiate. When there’s a close call, everyone remembers our game isn’t on ESPN and that everything will be okay regardless of the outcome. In the rare moments when someone crosses the line, they’re reminded calmly of what SportsKlub stands for, and most understand quickly. Respect is the standard.

That’s why the Power Bowl touchdown mattered so much. It wasn’t just a championship moment, it was proof of what happens when people choose trust, friendship and love over ego and anger. It was a reminder of what can exist when a community is built intentionally. That lesson feels especially fitting at Christmas.

The holidays can be joyful, but they can also be heavy. Many people carry loneliness, stress, or loss into this season. Christmas reminds us that giving takes many forms, not just gifts, but time, patience, grace and belief in each other.

SportsKlub exists because people give all of those things. Players contribute to cover fields and ice, but more importantly, they give their hearts. That Power Bowl moment would never have happened without people believing in a simple idea from a 10-year-old kid, or without teammates extending grace and inclusion to players still learning the game. I book the fields, order the jerseys and make the teams, but it’s the people who show up every week who gift SportsKlub to each other, and to me. It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received.

As the year comes to a close, SportsKlub continues to grow not because of championships, but because adults are craving connection. They want to be involved, and they want community.

Looking ahead to the spring, I’m excited for another opportunity to share laughs, exercise, and a love for the game. Football returns in April, and we’re hoping to launch softball shortly after.