Starecki | “It Gives Me Motivation To Say, ‘If They Can Do It, Why Not I?'”

If a major objective of the CFL’s Women In Football initiative is to get more and more interested in pursuing a career in the game, Jay Starecki can be viewed as a shining example. An assistant equipment manager with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, Starecki admits her motivation to give it s shot came on a whim when she remembered the Lions had already opened their door to a spot in their equipment room.

“The program is heavily focused on coaches, which is a good thing because you’re seeing more and more women getting coaching positions. Once I remembered that Olyvia Hoban had been with you guys as part of the program with the equipment staff last year, that gave me the motivation to apply,” said Starecki from her Saskatoon home this week.

Introduced prior to the 2022 campaign, the Women In Football program once again will invite one participant to join each CFL team’s football operations staff for approximately four weeks, a majority of which will be spent performing day-to-day tasks in training camp.

As part of the program, Starecki will help out Lions equipment manager Aaron Yeung and his staff for the duration of 2023 camp in Kamloops. A solid equipment staff is vital to the success of any football team, no matter what level you’re talking about. Starecki will now have the benefit of working with and learning from one of the best in the Canadian Football League.

A five-year veteran of the Huskies football program, Starecki initially got a foot in the door thanks to Canadian Football Hall of Fame member and current Huskies head coach Scott Flory, who had been one of her instructors in the school’s kinesiology program.

“I was in the last year of my undergrad program and knew I’d be taking the next year off,” she recalled.

“Scott invited me down to the sidelines to help out with equipment. I got introduced to Andrea Eccelston who has been the Huskies equipment manager for over 20 years. The work is daunting, but I love it. The players, coaches and entire staff make it all worthwhile. The thing I love most about football players is that’s what they are focused on, 24/7. Nothing else. I found that refreshing to be around a bunch of people who were living in the moment and not worrying about what might come later.”

Once she arrives in Kamloops, Starecki will also have the added benefit of being around some familiar faces from her time at the Saskatoon campus. Nathan Cherry, Riley Pickett and Noah Zerr all suited up for the Huskies during her tenure.

“It was fun to be around all of those guys and when they all got chosen in the draft by you guys last year, that was really exciting to see,” Starecki said.

“It will make this transition easier, being around some familiar players.”

A lifelong football fan, Jay can credit her mother Tanya for passing down her love of the game.

“She was the most into it because she actually played tackle football growing up,” Starecki explained.

“It was my mom who always turned the CFL games on TV and was the most vocal about it. I have a twin brother but he was more of a hockey guy growing up. The women in our house were more into football.”

And getting the chance to work under a veteran like Eccleston in her current role with the Huskies has only added to the inspiration for Starecki and other women looking to make leaps and bounds in the world of professional football.

“I’ve been blessed to work with and learn from a great equipment manager,” she added.

“As a young girl working in sports, it gives me the motivation to say ‘If they can do it, why not I?’ Other girls can also look up to us for motivation.”

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com