My adventure started long before I ever put on the shoulder pads.
My adventure started at the age of 5 when my brothers taught me how to throw a football.
When I was living in Nova Scotia and decided to give it a try and now playing for the Saskatoon Valkyries, I found the world of women’s tackle football that welcomes every woman of every shape, size, age, and athletic ability.
I found a world where everyone spoke with such passion about their love of football, whether it was coaches, veteran players, or rookies.
I found a world where I did not have to hold anything back.
Women are starting to make their mark in the football world.
The Valkyries are heavily supported by Saskatoon Minor Football and Football Saskatchewan and we have an amazing coaching staff that know we are tough, that know we can tackle, and who coach us just as hard as they would coach guys.
I am only one of few women from outside Saskatoon who make the drive to get to events.
There are many reasons we make this drive for practices, games, and fundraisers.
We share this love of football with every woman on the Saskatoon Valkyries and we let women from the area know it can be done.
Personally, I have many reasons I fell in love with football.
When it comes to throwing on those pads and helmet, I feel confident.
When it comes to practices twice a week, I do not just try to be healthy during practice, I take that healthy lifestyle off the field and use it in my everyday life.
We are pushed as kids to be active but as adults we tend to lose that after we leave the stability of the secondary school system.
And I understand.
Kids need that boost to tell them that their health is important but they also need to know they will have that support when they are no longer kids.
In Canada, 41 per cent of girls aged 3-17 do not participate in sports. After reaching adulthood, that number jumps to 84 per cent of women.
When it comes to showing girls that they can play too, I know that there are many things in their lives telling them they cannot.
When I stand with my team and sing the national anthem, I know I am in a country where I do not need permission to play a sport that is dominated by men.
This dominance is not a bad thing. At this point, it is reality and it does affect how people see female football players.
I have been asked how I can tackle when I have a uterus.
I have received many blank stares from people begging to call me a liar when I say that I can tackle.
For me, they can ask and stare all they want because I know that we are awesome women who just want to play football.
For those who may think twice about joining because they think they cannot play, I am happy to be the voice saying they can.
I do not want other young girls to have to face that challenge of overcoming the doubters.
This should not make girls and women afraid to try it.
I know people who started playing who did not even know what a line of scrimmage was but they learned and loved playing.
If people see someone from their own community doing it, they are more likely to say, ‘yeah, I want to try that.’
I am happy to say that my five-year-old niece was very intrigued at her first football game when the Valkyries played Regina.
She followed where the ball was, where it needed to go, and who auntie’s team was.
She saw it and now she wants to do it.
I want her to have a place where she can grow this love of football and sports.
I know she will not have to deal with someone telling her she cannot tackle because she will have auntie right behind her telling her she can.
If she wants to in the future, she will proudly be able to tell people that she plays tackle football and no one will want to contradict her.
See an update on the Saskatoon Valkyries 2016 season on page 10 of this weeks Journal.
