A league of their own — girls of the gridiron

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 28/04/10 Shalya Galenza of the Warriors manages to slip out of a tackle b y Kara Wenland of the Sabres as the Sexsmith Sabres women's football team defeated the Comp Warriors women's team. There are four teams in the league Sexsmith, Grande Prairie Composite, St. Joe's and Valleyview.If it's May it must be football season in the Peace — High School Ladies football.
The Alberta Peace is unique in North America in that it is home to the only women's high school tackle football league.

This isn't powder puff flag football — this is the same heavy-hitting, three-down, 12-player 110- yard gridiron battle played across Canada.

And the girls and their coaches agree that the physical game is enjoyed by the girls just as much as it is by the boys.Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 28/04/10 Kira Sonnenberg, 21, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres and Amanda Toerper, 70, GP Comp Warriors hit each other hard as the Sexsmith Sabres women's football team defeated the Comp Warriors women's team at Legion Field in the Mighty Peace Ladies high school football season opener.

Although the players' favourite aspects of the game seems to be affected more positionally than by gender.
Jenn LaRochelle, a rookie Grade 12 defensive-tackle and guard with the Comp lady Warriors said the hitting  is one of the things that appeals to her the most.
"You can take out your frustrations without getting in trouble."Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-20 Mallory Starkey, 7, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres wraps up Jenn LaRochelle's, 52, GP Comp Warriors legs and brings her down with some help by Courtney Ungurian, 5, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres during the playoffs for the Hart Bowl Thursday evening, May 20 at Legion Field in MPFL women's football action.

Shawn Allison, co-coach of Ceinahs is in his fourth year coaching girls. He said the rawness of football is appealing to the girls — although at first the physical aspect is hidden in the women players.
"At first it is hard for them to hit or get hit but after being hit or hitting someone on time it just clicks. By the end they love hitting."
Allison explains that those who have played hockey have been involved in physical play. But they aren't always the best hitters to start because it is a different technique. The female wrestlers make the best hitters and the two sports complement each other.
Trevor Prichard,  Allison's Ceinah's coaching colleague adds the girls really like to hit once they are into the game.

But the physical aspect also means running plays to avoid being tackled and hit.Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-20 Rena Dekuysscher, 27, St. Joe's Ceinahs stops Kira Sonnenberg, 21, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres downfield scramble during the playoffs for the Hart Bowl Thursday evening, May 20 at Legion Field in MPFL women's football action. Sexsmith won a very evenly played game 8-0 to capture the championship.Raven Hildebrand, a Grade 11 running back with the Warriors, is in her first year of playing the game and she explains her favourite part of football is when "I am the only one left to get the ball and everyone (on the opposite team) is coming for me. I have to bust through everyone to get a touch down."
Although, Tiffany Barber, a Ceinahs second year player defensive back, enjoys the actual physical aspect to her the best part of game on field is the strategy having to read the opposition.
"Basically, (I like)  trying to predict what the play is. I had no idea of what was going on last year."
"It is a short season but it is definitely fun for us ladies. "
For quarterbacks, the strategy and directing the play is most appealing.
This is Sexsmith Grade 12 student  Kira Sonnenberg's first year as quarterback with the Lady Sabres.
"I've been playing for five years but I never really had a (position). I just kind of played everything before. I never really had one set position. It is just a lot of fun seeing everything and knowing you can control the whole game pretty much. If you mess up then it is done but if you do good then the game is good. "Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-13 Kira Sonnenberg, 21, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres launches the ball to a receiver as the St. Joe' Ceinahs' faced off against the Lady Sabres in Sexsmith.

St. Joe's Ceinah's pivot Celine McEachern, a second year player agrees with her Sabres' counterpart about helping direct the plays, adding "We mostly run the ball — we're not really a big passing team."
For the coaches, while the game is rewarding, it is working with the women players that brings its own rewards. Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-05 Celine McEachern fires off the ball to recievers during ladies football practice at St. Joseph Catholic High School Wednesday afternoon.

Sexsmith coach Mark Owens is in his sixth year coaching girls.
"The girls, it just seems over the past few years, they soak everything up. Everything you tell them they use. Some of the boys have been playing football so long they get to the point where they think they don't need coaching anymore and the girls just have that big team unity of 'Let's learn as much as we can'.
"Some of them come in not even knowing what a down is. Just starting from that basic knowledge it is fun."
Allison agrees "They are like sponges. They just soak it all in. "

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 28/04/10 The Comp's Alyssa Agerbak tries to keep warm under a blanket during a game between Grande Prairie and Sexsmith. The girls are very coachable soaking in all their coaches are teaching them.Football is not all fun and games for the young women it has also been a time of learning.
LaRochelle explains, "The team work (was the biggest lesson.) You have to have faith in your other team mates to do what they are supposed to so the play works right. You work together."
Sexsmith's Sonnenberg adds, "It's great being with a bunch of girls that also love the game and are here for the same thing. There are a lot more girls that you have to get to know and you make a lot of friends. It is just a lot of fun."
Mackenzie Cox, is a rookie Grade 8 Sexsmith corner/defensive back. She said playing the game has helped her understand it.
"I learned a lot more about the game. I never really knew how to play it. My dad would watch the Super Bowl and I never would really get it… I can watch it with my dad now and cheer for a team and get what's going on."Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-20 Kara Zenner, 28, St. Joe's Ceinahs is mauled as she is brought down by Sexsmith Secondary Sabres as the former during the playoffs for the Hart Bowl Thursday evening, May 20 at Legion Field in MPFL women's football action. The Sabres beat the Ceinahs 8-0 on a fourth quarter TD to win the Hart Bowl for the second consecutive year.

Prichard says he thinks two lessons the girls learn from football, which involves more people just because of the size of the squad, is teamwork and how it takes a variety of people and skills to be successful.
"They like being able to put on the uniform. It gives them an identity with their school and football allows for everyone to be on the field."
With the different physical sizes and skills from speedy backs to the bigger stronger girls on the line, football attracts all types of girls.
"It teaches them the true style of family. They have to come all together as a team and by the end they are a family."
Allison explains the advantage of football is it is not limited to just a few girls like other high school sports like basketball and volleyball. The teams need plenty of women to field a team.
Sexsmith Owen's adds  it has also developed character in the girls which is evident in his team's  winning record.
"A lot of it has to do with our girls work ethic.  Our linebackers and half-backs have been playing four years together now. So they get to know each other.

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-20 Kara Zenner, 28, St. Joe's Ceinahs is brought down by Kara Wendland, 54, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres Xaverie MacLennan, 16, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres and Courtney Ungurian, 5, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres during the playoffs for the Hart Bowl Thursday evening, May 20 at Legion Field in MPFL women's football action. Sexsmith won a very evenly matched 8-0 game to win the women's high school championship."I think the past couple of years the team has been based around one running back. This year we spaced it around. We have six or seven offensive people who have gotten touchdowns and we're throwing the ball a lot more so it is not based on one thing.
"Our defence doesn't even allow yards. Them (the players) being together and getting to know each other they just don't make the mistakes they used to.
"Getting that balance out there (is why) we have been pretty successful."

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 28/04/10 Nicole Meurs carries her equipment and water bottles to the field.For the younger girls, most agree that playing next year will likely be a priority for them as emphasized by the Comp's Hildebrand.
"I wasn't going to play but I can't get enough of playing."
She adds she feels  a little shorted that the guys have almost a four month season and the girls stuck with a month and a half including training camp and four weeks of league play.
However, for the Grade 12 students, this is likely their last season on the field as university, college, career and other sports take centre stage.
While for the most part, including the physical aspect of the game, the ladies football is the same as high school men's there are a few differences — but nothing that takes away from the sport.
First the women play 10 minute quarters instead of 12 and two coaches from each team are allowed on the field during play.
Prichard said compares it to Peewee (up to age 12) with the coaches on the field and Bantam (13-15) where there skill levels are at.
What is also unique is that even though it is high school football players from junior high schools as young as 12 are also playing.
Prichard explains that allowing players from Grades 7-12 it allows the girls to build on their skills and there isn't the size difference in girls like there is in boys at that age range.
"The girls want to play and there is a place in these league for the Grade 7 girls to be part of a team."
That should pay dividends for the league in coming years as players continue to come out if they enjoy the game bringing continued improvement in their skills.

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-06 Comp Warrior pivot Bethany Fisher makes a break down field with the ball as she is pursued by a determined St. Joe's Breann Thiessen, who is intent on tackling the Warrior ball carrier. The Ceinahs defeated the Comp 19-6 in ladies' football action Thursday evening at the St. Joseph field
But where does ladies high school football in the Peace go from its humble starts as a two team introduction to football in the 2003-04 school year has grown as the years progressed.
 By starting younger bring more skills as progress into veterans.
Currently there are four schools (Grande Prairie Composite High School, St. Joseph Roman Catholic High School, Sexsmith Secondary and Hillside High School from Valleyview) with 30 to 40 girls taking part in the sport. Although the league has had as many as seven schools involved, its development is a work in progress
Allison explains "It depends on the schools and the coaches."
There is interest in the sport and league from schools in the Edmonton suburban area but for now it falls under the MPFL(Mighty Peace Football League) and the sport is not Alberta School Athletic Association mandated.
But the uniqueness of being the only women's high school tackle football league in Canada (there are some women's leagues around including senior and university teams) and possibly in North America has its perks.
Ceinah's coach Allison explains. "One way or another these girls will be playing for the Canadian national championship (the Hart Bowl Championship, May 20)."

Photo Randy Vanderveen Grande Prairie , Alberta 10-05-20 Kira Sonnenberg, 21, Sexsmith Secondary Sabres quarterback celebrates as she crosses the goal line during the playoffs for the Hart Bowl Thursday evening, May 20 at Legion Field in MPFL women's football action. Sexsmith won a very evenly matched 8-0 game to win the women's high school championship.
Sexsmith proved victorious in the six-minute quarter,  jamboree-style play offs, winning against the Comp to advance to the finals and then winning a hard fought 8-0 win over St. Joe’s for bragging rights and the name on the Hart Bowl for the second straight year.
The Warriors went on to beat Valleyview 20-0 to win third place in the league.

Comments

[Malorie]

Great story!! I wish this league had been around when I was in high school! :)