Experiences as a youth athlete brought University of Regina Rams running-back Christian Katende to the success he has found today.
At eight-years-old, Katende was forced to play a level up in peewee football because of his size and it left him to take on a substantial learning curve early in his career.
“That was always the thing about my football career, I never played with kids my age. I always played a year up and I always felt like I had a chip on my shoulder. Being an 8-year-old playing with a bunch of 10 to 12-year-olds in peewee was scary, but it was one of the best things for me,” said Katende.
It was through playing up a level, that Katende learned what it took to be a leader.
“Dealing with everyday being a battle, knowing that there were guys stronger than me, bigger than me and knowing that I had to put my best foot forward every day, I feel like that kind of put me in the mindset that I have to do everything that I can to get on the field and stay on the field.”
He committed five years to playing with the Regina Minor Football League, before joining high school football in grade 10. In that time, Katende switched from playing as a defensive lineman to fullback and took to the power running position with ease.
Following years of tireless effort to earn his place on the field, Katende spent his time in high school realizing it took more than skill to stand as a leader for others.
“When my Grade 12 year rolled around, it was five Grade 12s and probably 25 Grade 10s, so it was definitely a learning curve for me. It just kind of brought me to a point where I knew that being a leader was more than winning football games and trying to do more than I needed to on the field.”
Before long, Katende began reaching out to his teammates who idolized his work ethic and provided guidance to those interested.
His coach at the time, Chris Warenecke instilled a valuable mindset in Katende, which has since carried forward into his university career.
“My high school coach would tell me, ‘We all know how good you are, but it’s how good you can make the guys around you.’”
For Katende, that ideology morphed over the years into a belief that he reflects those around him, asserting that his success is a testament to his teammates and coaches.
Now, Katende plays with the University of Regina Rams as running back and continues to exemplify what it means to work toward earning a spot on the field as a leader.
In his first year with the Rams, Katende started as the eighth running back on the depth chart and by end of the year, he had risen to the third spot. Not only did he move ahead in his position, but Katende also had the chance to play his first year on the team, an opportunity he did not expect to receive.
“I took advantage of my opportunity and I had a pretty good game…it laid out the foundation for what came to be with [the following] years on the team. I think that being that young guy who got the opportunity to play early gave me the same drive and motivation to show my teammates that were older than me that I can play with them, that I can be a leader on this team and that I can be one of the best.”
And being one of the best is what became of Katende in the 2024-25 Canada West season.
The Rams had a strong start before catching a lull in the middle of the season, bringing them 2-5 and up against the University of Alberta Golden Bears to play for a spot in semifinals.
At halftime the Rams were down by 11 points and unsure of how their last regular season game would end. It took encouragement from head coach, Mark McConkey to remind the team that they came to win.
“Let’s stay dialed, let’s lock in, let’s play Ram’s football,” Katende recalls his coach saying.
In the second half, Regina closed the difference and secured a spot in playoffs with a 29-22 victory thanks to the help of Katende, who achieved the third-best, single-game rushing total in Rams history: 228 yards on 26 carries with two touchdowns.
The win left Regina with a 3-5 regular season record, good enough for fourth place in the standings and a berth in the Canada West playoffs.
Albeit the team entered as the underdogs, it provided motivation to claim the 28-25 victory over the top-ranked University of Manitoba Bisons in semifinals and again 19-14 over the No. 3 University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the final. The results brought the Rams to hoist the 87th Hardy Cup for only the second time in program history, last doing so in 2000.
Regina’s comeback season came to an end at the U SPORTS national semifinal, the Mitchell Bowl, with a narrow 17-14 loss to the Laval Rouge et Or.
Although the Rams closed their season with a loss, Katende has set his focus on the future, looking to take advantage of the time he has left with the team.
“I’m more focused on finishing school, being a good teammate for the next two years and doing what I can to be the best football player I can on the field.”
