Empowering the next generation of female football players: U17 Calgary Wildcats prepare for second season

Football is often considered a sport for men, but female players in Calgary are challenging this stereotype.

The Calgary Wildcats U17 female football team is hosting its open house and registration event on Feb. 9 to find young athletes who demonstrate the skills and promise women bring to sports.

Fifteen-year-old Mattea Fletcher is in the process of trying out for the team for its second season, and plans to give it her all.

Fletcher has been playing contact football since she was 13, beginning with the Bantam Bulldogs, a mixed gender team.

“It definitely shows that we are tougher than people think. It shows that girls are strong,” Fletcher says.

Making her parents proud

Fletcher’s parents are filled with pride as they watch their daughter grow and dominate the sport.

“Speaking for my wife and I, we’re extremely proud. We never thought this was the avenue that she would take and she has given it 150 per cent,” Troy Fletcher says.

“She’s working alongside some great male athletes on her team and she’s held her own. She’s hitting just as hard as the boys are hitting and not turning or shying away from the challenge.”

Fletcher played for the Wildcats last season, and is excited to get back together with past teammates to try out again.

“I feel pretty confident, our team did very well last year. We have some new girls coming in, but I know that our coaches can help us through,” Fletcher says.

Lack of female representation in sports

Female representation in football has been minimal and results in a lack of opportunities for young women.

“If you don’t see women in sports, how can you even imagine being there?” says Elisha Torraville, league organizer and former Calgary Rage player.

“When I started playing football in high school, I was told that girls belonged on the sidelines cheerleading.”

Due to a lack of representation and encouragement, Torraville did not play organized football again until she was 30 years old when she joined the Rage.

Not enough young women pursue sports after a certain age as they tend to be directed elsewhere early in their lives.

“When they get to 11 and 12 years old, so many females drop out of sports, regardless of the sport they’re in. They start getting self-imagery problems and self-confidence issues,” Torraville says.

Promoting confidence in young women

Young girls often lose confidence to compete with male athletes as growth spurts begin, Torraville adds, and to play on a team alongside males takes a confidence level that often needs to be taught and encouraged.

“The all-girls league gives them those skills,” Torraville says.

By creating the all-girls league, the Wildcats have already promoted confidence in young women to further pursue the sport and play with and against men.

“Bantam Bulldogs now has more girls joining football, which is good because it shows that we’re giving them the confidence and skills in the spring,” Torraville says.

While the community at large needs to help encourage female athletes to pursue sports, women in sports acting as role models also make a large impact.

“Emily Clark is a CFL (Canadian Football League) level official and has had to overcome a lot of barriers because it is a male-dominated field,” Torraville says.

Torraville brings in women like Clark to talk to the young female athletes about their experiences and to show the girls that they belong.

Inspiring other young girls

Knowing that she will potentially inspire other young girls pushes Fletcher even more to continue pursuing her passion for football.

“It feels great to have people to look up to and it is a great experience and feels so good for us to be those role models,” Fletcher says.

Teams like the Wildcats make the future of women in sports look bright and illustrate what good can come of providing young girls with the opportunity to pursue their dreams, no matter how big.

“We still have a ways to go, but I think that we’re getting there and it’s so inspiring,” Torraville says.

The all-girls league hopes to expand to an Okotoks team and a second team in Calgary within the next year.

For more information on the open house and registration event, visit the Wildcats’ website, or email [email protected].