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Tackling stereotypes: Regina's 1st junior tackle football team for girls starts season

The Regina Victorias started in Fall 2018 and will play in a league with teams from Moosomin, Yorkton and Melville.

The Regina Victorias started in Fall 2018 to give young girls the chance to play in Regina.

Heidi Atter · CBC News ·
Head Coach Ryan Hall said the coaches are dedicated to safety for the girls to try and prevent injuries “with the way we’re coaching contact, the way we talk about contact.” He said they spend a lot of time teaching safety. (Heidi Atter/CBC)

Keyara Donaldson always wanted to try tackle football.

"It's just an overall fun sport," Donaldson said.

The 17-year-old has played flag football, but her parents didn't want her playing tackle against boys on her high school team.

Now she's running down the practice field in full gear, thanks to the city's first ever midget football team for girls.

The Regina Victorias was founded this fall and had their first practice on August 25. The 28-player team is open to girls in Grades 7 to 12.

"It gives a chance for me and the other girls to show like we could play tackle," Donaldson said.

Keyara Donaldson is a running back on the Regina Victorias. (Heidi Atter/CBC)

Head Coach Ryan Hall said he's been wanting to start the girls' team for a couple of years.

"Tackle football traditionally is a boy's sport, a male's sport. So that kind of shuts out half the population," he said. "If we want the sport to grow, we want it to be as inclusive as possible."

Hall said he hopes the girls playing become friends, learn something about themselves, get better and stay in the sport to eventually play for the Regina Riot.

The Regina Victorias are a minor football team for girls in Grades 7 to 12. (Heidi Atter/CBC )

"We really feel that football is a sport that has a lot of value," he said. "Football is not an easy sport to play. And so you have to kind of be a tough person mentally, physically and emotionally."

Hall said football can be aggressive but that people used to say hockey was too aggressive for women, "and look at the state of hockey in Canada and Saskatchewan for females."

Head Coach Ryan Hall said he knows some people view football as a risky, aggressive sport, but said many things in life come with risks. (Heidi Atter/CBC)

Trisha Jattansingh,an offensive line coach for theVictorias, has played for the Regina Riot for 8 seasons despite not picking up the game until university.

"I would have loved this opportunity," she said. "I didn't even have the option of flag or touch when I was young."

The first team of the Regina Victorias with Head Coach Ryan Hall and other coaching staff made of Regina Riot players past and present. (Heidi Atter/CBC)

"The thing about football is there is a place for everybody on the team. All shapes, all sizes," Jattansingh said.

"You don't have to be super fast and super quick you can be slower and stronger."

The Regina Victorias first game is Sunday, September 9 at 5 p.m. in Yorkton. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Heidi Atter

Mobile Journalist

Heidi Atter is a journalist working in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. She has worked as a reporter, videojournalist, mobile journalist, web writer, associate producer, show director, current affairs host and radio technician. Heidi has worked in Regina, Edmonton, Wainwright, and in Adazi, Latvia. Story ideas? Email heidi.atter@cbc.ca.

    With Files from CBC Saskatchewan's Morning Edition

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