Key takeaways:
- The women’s tackle football team began its first entire season in 2019.
- The squad is Edmonton’s only women’s tackle football team and one of seven teams in the Women’s Western Canadian Football League.
It’s a misty Tuesday night, and the field west of Jasper Place High School is full of action.
The Edmonton Storm of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) is hanging high off a 24-21 win over the Calgary Rage on May 14, the Edmonton club’s first victory of the 2022 season.
Tonight, at practice, the emphasis is on tackles. Twenty-one athletes line up on the field as defensive coordinator Branden Modin calls out exercises. Without reluctance, the women take each other to the ground.
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“You know so many times, people, they request us if we play lingerie football,” stated manager Shawn Walter. “This is full contact.”
The Storm’s second match is Saturday against the Lethbridge Steel in Raymond, Alta. Walter joined the Storm during the outbreak. The 2022 season will be his first as a manager. He’s served as WWCFL commissioner since 2017.
“I think women’s sports are always growing, particularly football,” Walter said. “And frankly, there’s not a lot of opportunities.”
Source – cbc.ca
