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J.R. Oshima \/ O Athletix<\/p>\n
Team Canada men\u2019s flag football rusher Domenic Horvath said he\u2019s trying to put aside thinking about his potential spot on the Olympic roster for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do feel like last year hurt the ego a little bit, because I never got a fair shot, and I know this year they see what I can do now that they\u2019ve given me the shot to perform,\u201d Horvath said Tuesday. \u201cSo I\u2019m feeling good about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Horvath was named to Team Canada for the second consecutive year, following an impressive outing at an intense selection camp held at Princess Auto Stadium last month.<\/p>\n
The four-day evaluation saw 30 of the top players from across the country battle for 16 spots in front of Football Canada\u2019s high-performance staff, led by former Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice.<\/p>\n
Horvath was one of two rushers \u2014 along with Montreal\u2019s Philippe Pharand \u2014 and the lone Manitoban to make the top 16, who will represent Canada at the IFAF Men\u2019s Flag Football World Championship in Dusseldorf, Germany, in August.<\/p>\n
The Worlds mark the first chance for national programs to secure their qualification toward flag football\u2019s historic debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. There will be a pair of qualification spots up for grabs in both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s divisions in Germany.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last calendar year has been the craziest year of my life,\u201d Horvath said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year they see what I can do now that they\u2019ve given me the shot to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, Horvath reached the top-50 selection camp while playing on offence as a centre \u2014 his preferred position.<\/p>\n
After one day, the coaching staff put him at defensive back. On the final day, he was moved to rusher, which required him to swallow a slice of humble pie and embrace the idea that he could showcase a versatile skill set.<\/p>\n
Last month, he tried out all four days exclusively as a rusher, and it was evident that he had made strides in that facet as one of the camp\u2019s clear standouts.<\/p>\n
While Horvath feels he can offer even more as a defender or as an offensive weapon, he\u2019s truly taken his duties as a rusher in stride.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt obviously hurts because I know what I can do offensively, but I\u2019m keeping my head down, and I\u2019m battling for that spot \u2014 whatever\u2019s gonna give me the best chance to be on this team and make an impact on the team. They see it as rushing, and I know I\u2019m just getting back into rushing, and I know I\u2019m starting to get comfortable in it, so I\u2019m starting to make an impact,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPersonally, I feel \u2014 and I think they feel that \u2014 I\u2019ve been absolutely crushing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t John Woods \/ The Canadian Press files<\/p>\n Former Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach Paul LaPolice (centre) is the men\u2019s national flag football team\u2019s current bench boss.<\/p>\n As it stands, Horvath is in the pole position to be Canada\u2019s starting rusher at the World Championship, but that will be officially determined next month after the team convenes for training camp in Chula Vista, Calif.<\/p>\n Horvath will also have an opportunity to further prove he\u2019s deserving when Team Canada travels to China for a pair of friendlies against the Chinese and Austrian national teams in July.<\/p>\n With more time to show what he can do in a game, Horvath said his standing on the team feels more substantive.<\/p>\n \u201cAbsolutely, because now it\u2019s not, \u2018Dom, you\u2019re an alternate, you\u2019re a practice player.\u2019 It\u2019s, \u2018You\u2019re in contention for a starting spot,\u2019\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels more real now that I\u2019m going to all these big tournaments, going to China, travelling the world with the team, and all I have to do is beat out one guy to go to the World Championships, and hopefully keep that starting spot going into future tournaments, and hopefully the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n Horvath said flag, which is played on a much smaller field \u2014 and as a result, is faster than tackle football in some ways \u2014 is a much different game than tackle, but it fits his athletic skill set better.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be super elusive and quick, so that\u2019s always been my game.\u201d<\/p>\n At 6-1, 170 pounds, his lanky yet flexible frame allows him to perform difficult athletic feats like dipping and swivelling his hips while running at full speed to avoid his flag from being pulled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been a bigger guy, I\u2019ve never been the big, strong guy. I\u2019ve always been super skinny, but athletic and fast,\u201d Horvath said. \u201cSo, I think flag really tailors to my ability, because it\u2019s a game built off speed and a game where you have to be quick twitch, you\u2019ve got to be super elusive and quick, so that\u2019s always been my game.\u201d<\/p>\n His job as a rusher is a rather thankless position, but he\u2019s just as important as the other players on the field. The rusher lines up seven yards off the ball and attacks the quarterback at the snap of the ball, but coaches have begun to get creative with the position, using the rusher as a chess piece that can be moved around the field to help disrupt routes.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what I really enjoy about rushing,\u201d Horvath said. \u201cI can be a complete game wrecker.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t For now, Horvath is the only Manitoban, but there is a chance that former Manitoba Bisons quarterback \u2014 and current Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver \u2014 Jackson Tachinski, who has drawn rave reviews from national team coaches, will be added later if he isn\u2019t retained by the Bombers out of training camp.<\/p>\n Horvath said it\u2019s easy to let his mind wander to the possibility of playing in the Olympics in two years, but he also understands that there is a long way to go until then.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t J.R. Oshima \/ O Athletix<\/p>\n Winnipegger Domenic Horvath said he\u2019s enjoyed being moved to the rusher position on the national men\u2019s flag football team. <\/p>\n \u201cI try to stay in the moment right now. Obviously, you can\u2019t deny having the ability to potentially play in the Olympics, which is something I never thought I\u2019d ever even have the experience to think about,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cFlag football being (in the Olympics), it\u2019s crazy, but I try not to think about it too much, because one: it\u2019s two years away, so I try not to get there. And two: we still have to qualify for it.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/joshuafreysam<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joshua Frey-Sam Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.<\/p>\n \t\t
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