For the third straight season, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will carry a message on their wrists.
What started as a collaborative tradition between quarterback Trevor Harris and head coach Corey Mace has become part of the team’s identity — a simple reminder designed to keep players grounded when the season inevitably presents challenges.
After “Don’t Flinch” in 2024 and “SR Time” during last year’s Grey Cup championship run, the Roughriders will enter 2026 with two new phrases printed on their wristbands: “Check Ball” and “R Factor.”
The slogans may be short, but the meaning behind them runs deep.
According to Harris, “Check Ball” comes from a basketball mentality, no matter the score, conditions or circumstances, it’s time to line up and compete.
“One side says check ball, and that's his deal, no matter what the situation is, down 10, up 10, cold weather, warm weather, you don't feel good, you feel great, whatever it is, check the ball. Let's go play,” Harris said.
“Spot the ball. It doesn't matter what the situation is.”
The phrase reflects a mindset Mace has preached since arriving in Saskatchewan: focus on the next play and eliminate excuses. Mace explained the term is rooted in pickup basketball culture.
“Check ball is kind of like a basketball term where no matter what, don’t care, check the ball, let’s go play,” Mace said.
On the other side of the wristband is “R Factor,” a message Harris introduced to the team based on a concept he discovered in his reading. The idea is simple: Event plus Response equals Outcome. The event itself isn’t always controllable. Neither is the final result. But the response in between is. Harris believes that approach will determine whether the Roughriders can build on their Grey Cup championship or become satisfied with it.
“Something I’ve talked about in the past is event, response and outcome,” Harris said. “The event and outcome are stuff you don’t control, but you do control how you respond.”
That message has become especially relevant entering a season where expectations are as high as they have been in years. Rather than defending a title or reliving last season’s success, Harris said the focus inside the locker room is raising the standard the team created.
“What I told the team today was that we’re not chasing last year. We’re chasing a standard we’ve set, and we’re trying to higher that,” Harris said. “What happened last year is the standard we’ve set. How are we going to respond to that?”
The veteran quarterback admitted the team moved on from the Grey Cup celebration quickly, but believes that’s necessary if Saskatchewan wants sustained success.
“To me, it’s just how do we respond to the things that are challenges in our face, things that maybe happened to us in the past, things that are presently happening, things that might happen,” Harris said.
For Harris, the equation extends beyond football.
“They always say life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you deal with it,” he said.
If the Roughriders’ recent wristband history is any indication, the messages aren’t just slogans. They’re intended to become habits. This year’s reminders are clear: check the ball and control the response.
