JQFP: How Jon Equina Built Saskatchewan’s Elite Softball Pipeline

 In a province better known for hockey than fastpitch, Jon “Queens” Equina has quietly built one of Canada’s most ambitious softball player-development models.

Based out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan—which is approximately 215 miles north of the Montana/North Dakota borderline— JQFP softball has grown into a club organization to be reckoned with, not just in Canada but in the U.S. as well.

JQFP—which stands for “Jon Queens Fast Pitch”—is not just a travel ball organization, it’s a high-performance winter training and exposure pipeline designed to give Prairie athletes access to the same opportunities as players in California, Florida, and Texas.

And it all starts with the head man himself.

From Global Player to Prairie Builder

Jon Equina has lived the game at every level.

He has competed in 13 countries, represented the Philippines National Team and played in Australian and Canadian National Championships. Jon also played elite fastpitch on both the men’s and women’s sides.

At age 18, he moved to Australia believing his playing days were over. Instead, it became the start of a 23-year journey that led him into international coaching, player development, and building programs.

Back in Saskatchewan, Equina helped as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Outlaws which won three Junior National Championships.

Today, Jon runs summer camps while operating JQFP full-time. His reward isn’t just trophies — it’s watching former players now coaching, leading, and growing the sport themselves.

Through years of international competition, he built relationships with top college programs including UCLA, Washington, and Virginia Tech, and even faced Mike White (Texas) in his own playing career.

Those connections now funnel directly into JQFP’s mission.

Why JQFP Exists

Saskatchewan has talented athletes — but limited exposure. That gap is what JQFP was created to solve.

Founded in 2017, the organization launched the first indoor softball league in Saskatchewan, modeled after the successful 222 Organization, another provincial travel program.

The goal was simple: give Prairie athletes a high-performance environment and a path to elite competition without forcing families to relocate.

Today:

• 85% of JQFP players come from Saskatchewan.
• 15% travel from Alberta, Manitoba, and the U.S.
• Some players drive up to five hours just to train on weekends

Because of Softball Saskatchewan regulations, JQFP operates as a winter league (September–April), complementing — not competing with — the provincial system.

Softball Saskatchewan provides the local league play; JQFP provides elite development, exposure, and opportunity.

The two systems work in parallel, with mutual respect.

How the Program Works

JQFP is not recreational travel ball.

Players go through evaluations and ID camps to determine whether they are suited for:

• Full travel teams, or
• Winter development programs
• Training runs:
  • 2–3 weekends per month
  • 5–6 hours per weekend

The organization typically runs one team per age group (sometimes two), with current divisions including 12U, 14U, and 16U.

There are approximately 85-90 athletes in the system, and most players participate in one tour per year.

The Tour Model: Where Development Meets Exposure

JQFP’s signature feature is its Tour System — three high-level competition trips each year:

• Fall Tour
• Winter Tour
• Spring Tour

Each tour lasts 8–9 days and includes:

• Two full tournament weekends
• A full week of games and practices in between

A typical tour looks like:

• Friday: Practice + Game
• Saturday/Sunday: Tournament
• Monday: Off
• Tuesday–Thursday: Games + Practices
• Friday: Off
• Saturday/Sunday: Tournament

Each player averages:

• ~16 games
• two rest days

All athletes fly in, and families cover travel and accommodations.

Player Results

JQFP athletes have already:  

• Made Team Canada.
• Earned college scholarships.

While there haven’t yet been headline-making D1 stars, the pipeline is building fast.

One standout to watch is Maggie Hill, a 14U utility player with a great bat who attends Martin Softball Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan. 

The Bigger Vision

JQFP is about more than wins.

It’s about:

• Giving Prairie athletes access to elite competition
• Creating real NCAA and national-team pathways
• Maximizing winter development
• And showing players that geography doesn’t limit potential

Jon Equina built JQFP so that Saskatchewan girls could stand on the same fields as the best in America — and belong there.

2025–26 Tours

JQFP’s upcoming schedule reflects that mission:

• Clearwater, Florida (October–November 2026)
• Orlando, Florida (February 2027)
  • USSSA Longwood
  • USSSA Space Coast
  • Includes attending Florida Gators Opening Weekend
• Arizona (April 2027)
  • Featuring Natalie Wideman (Team Canada, Ontario) as assistant coach

Born out of necessity, vision, and a deep respect for the game, JQFP Fast Pitch, the Saskatchewan, Canada based softball program has quietly built something special—far from the traditional hotbeds of softball, perhaps, but fully committed to matching their standard.

What began as small, skill-focused camps in 2015 has evolved into a year-round development model that now spans provinces, borders, and competitive levels.

Designed to fill the gaps created by Canada’s short outdoor season, the organization has embraced winter training, travel competition, and a culture-first approach to give athletes more than just reps—it gives them perspective.

As participation has grown and opportunities expanded, the program has become a launching point for players who want to be challenged, inspired, and prepared for what comes next in their softball journey..

Line Drive contributor Tyler Johnstone caught up recently with Jon to learn more about this fast-growing softball organization north of the border… here’s what he had to say:

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Our Q&A with Jon Equina, Founder of JQFP

Pictured below are some of the top JQFP players in the 14U age division…

When did the team/program start and how/why did it come to be?

Our club was established in 2015. In its early years, we focused on delivering skill development camps and structured team practices. As interest and participation steadily increased, our program expanded to include the creation of an indoor winter fastpitch league in Saskatoon.

In 2022, we formally launched our travel team program, with our first tournaments taking place in Dalton, Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Our program continues to grow in response to the increasing demand for high-quality fastpitch training during the long winter months. With relatively short summer playing seasons, our winter training and travel opportunities have naturally expanded.

This growth reflects our commitment to providing athletes with additional competitive opportunities during the winter, while ensuring they are better prepared for the summer season. 

Where are you based?  Where do your athletes come from (all locally, some out of state?)

The majority of our members are based in Saskatchewan, with additional representation from British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Florida.

What was the purpose of creating the team? To showcase players? Win titles? Develop skills?

To provide expanded softball opportunities for players, whether through additional winter training programs or participation in winter travel tournaments.

What do you think are the strengths of your teams? 

Our club standards and culture. We have players of all levels from entry level to advanced. Our coaches do an excellent job when it comes to finding a great balance with our teams to bring out the best in all our players.

What is your primary focus or goal with this group of players?

Our club is not intended to be the final step in a player’s softball journey, but rather the beginning. Our hope is that when our members move on to other clubs or organizations, they continue to find passion and enjoyment in the sport. We also aim to inspire them to give back to the game by sharing the opportunities and knowledge they have received, and ultimately to become future coaches who help create even more opportunities for the next generation.

What have been some of your successes in terms of winning or placing at events this past year?

Each tour represents a significant milestone for our program. Many of our players are experiencing international competition for the first time, and for many parents, it is their first opportunity to watch their children compete at a level they have not previously encountered.

The sense of excitement and accomplishment is evident even before the first games begin and continues throughout the tour.

In November 2025 in Clearwater, Florida our 14U team won silver in the Gold Bracket and our 12U won silver in the Silver Bracket at the NSA Halloween Tournament.

What’s your softball background and how did you get to the point of leading the team?

I began playing fastpitch softball at the age of 10 in 1993. Saskatchewan has a rich history and deep tradition in men’s fastpitch, and I was fortunate to experience this culture firsthand as both a player and a coach. I played club softball in Saskatoon throughout my entire minor career.

In 2001, I spent a year in Australia competing in the Open Men’s and U23 National Championships with the Philipines National team and played in Australian and Canadian National Championships. This experience culminated in winning the U23 National Championship in 2002 at Sydney Olympic Stadium.

I began my coaching career at a young age, coaching my younger brother’s U14 Club “A” team while I was still competing at the U19 level myself. Coaching opportunities continued to develop alongside my playing career, allowing me to grow in both roles simultaneously.

I went on to compete in numerous countries around the world, playing with and against many of the top athletes the sport has produced.

Competing multiple times at the ISC Men’s World Club Championship against the world’s elite teams remains one of the most meaningful experiences of my career. Earning a bronze medal at this event stands as my closest achievement to a world championship.

Following my playing career, I helped as an assistant coach with the Saskatoon Outlaws Women’s U23 team. During this time, the team captured Canadian National Championships in 2008, 2010, and 2011.

In 2008, I was also proud to be a founding coach of the University of Saskatchewan Softball program. The program went on to win Canadian University National Championships in 2008 and 2010, along with a silver medal finish in 2009.

The program continues to grow and expand and is now coached by former Canadian women’s national team member Stacey Dansereau.

My coaching experience spans all levels, from youth girls’ and boys’ programs to senior women’s and men’s teams. These experiences have provided me with the confidence, knowledge, and motivation to establish this organization and to help lead the long-term development of future softball players and coaches.

What makes the organization unique?

Our coaches’ diverse and extensive backgrounds collectively provide an experience and level of opportunity unlike anything our players have encountered before. Their expertise, creativity, and passion continue to make our program both unique and engaging. We encourage our athletes to dream big—and if we fall short, we challenge them to dream even bigger.

How many teams are there in the organization overall?

Our program currently supports approximately 90 female athletes, with roughly 70 participating on our travel teams. Each season, we attend an average of four to six tournaments in the United States. At our peak, we have sent as many as four teams to a single tournament.

Over the years, we have competed in tournaments across several states, including California, Nevada, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia and Arizona.

If there is one thing you would say that separates you from other club programs, what would it be?

The game is taught, played, and approached differently in every country in which I have experienced it. As a result, I have always focused on leading the organization in an authentic and consistent manner.

My goal is to establish clear standards, expectations, and a positive culture that, collectively, create an environment strong enough to attract players who want to be part of our club.

Where do you see the future of the organization taking you?

Each season, our organization continues to grow and strengthen connections across Canada and the United States.

This growth has been made possible through the teams we compete against, the facilities in which we train, and the organizations that support and collaborate with us along the way.

Our program began training in elementary school gymnasiums and has since progressed to operating out of a multi-million-dollar facility in Saskatoon at the Gordie Howe Indoor Training Centre.

Access to quality training facilities is essential to our success, and we are extremely grateful to the entire staff at the Gordie Howe Indoor Training Centre for their continued support and professionalism.

Our media presence has been elevated significantly through the work of our media specialist, Julia Lavier, who is widely regarded as one of the best in the industry.

She has brought a level of creativity and entertainment to our media that is unmatched by other clubs. In addition, she manages one of the most popular softball-focused social media pages online, with an Instagram following exceeding 173,000.

We are also proud of the identity and professionalism of our uniforms, made possible through Al Anderson’s Source for Sports. Having spent 20 years as an employee, I have firsthand experience with the company’s commitment to excellence, and it remains one of the top softball and baseball retailers in Canada.

Ultimately, it takes a strong and dedicated support team to successfully operate an organization of this scale, and I am extremely appreciative of the people who continue to contribute their time, expertise, and passion to our program.

How can we follow you online?

You can follow us on Instagram at @Jqfpsoftball and @welivesoftball_

— Tyler Johnstone / Line Drive correspondent