Canadian women's tackle football team meets U.S. in gold medal match

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

It's a saying star quarterback Aimee Kowalski will have on her mind when Canada takes on the U.S. in a match to decide which country boasts the best women's tackle football team in the world.

"Truth be told, we're not afraid of their size," she said at a practice ahead of the team's game on Friday.

"We have one of the smallest players on our team making some of the biggest plays and the biggest hits."

More than three dozen women from across Canada make up the national team.

Kowalski says it's not only an honor them represent the country — but also a chance to show Canadian women that there are opportunities to compete in elite-level sports, even those most often associated with men.

"There [are] so many women on this team who didn't think they would play football or could play football," she said.

"I think there's a lot of women out there who are timid and shy, and I just want them to know that they shouldn't be."

According to a report released last year, the rates of women participating in sports across Canada has declined significantly, from 38 per cent in 1992 to 16 per cent in 2010. Meanwhile, women only receive a fraction of the sports coverage in TV and print media.

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The team's coach Jeff Yausie admits that tackle football has long been perceived of as a male sport. But he says his team's success in the tournament has helped shine a light on just how talented Canadian women are.

"The attitude about taking the sport seriously has certainly changed," he said. "We have a lot of terrific athletes that excelled at elite sports ... that weren't given this opportunity to play football when they were young women."

"It's a treat to coach, and it's a treat to watch," he added.

Yausie says the crowds have grown and that fans are passionate. And more importantly, younger women are starting to show a greater interest in the sport.

"It's just a matter of creating the environment where they have the opportunity to play."

The gold medal match of the International Federation of American Football Women's World Championship takes place at the McLeod Stadium in Langley. Having lost to the Americans in past tournaments, team Canada players are underdogs.

But Kowalski says the team has the skill and desire to win.

"We're going to come out, we're going to use our heads, and we're going to use our hearts."