Former Saskatoon QB Candace Bloomquist expects female coaches in CFL
NFL's Arizona Cardinals hire woman to coach through training camp and the pre-season
Now that the NFL's Arizona Cardinals have hired a woman as one of their pre-season coaches, a former quarterback in Saskatoon believes the CFL will follow suit.
This year, Jen Welter will coach inside linebackers through the Cardinals' training camp and the pre-season.
While women's football has been around longer in the U.S. than Canada, the sport is starting to catch on here.
"I think we're going to see lots more progress as we continue to see these women breaking the ceiling," Bloomquist said. "It's really encouraging to see."
Bloomquist said she doesn't expect the changes to be easy, however.
"After a little bit of time, you have a target on your back," she said. "We found that with the Valkyries, you know building a great team, some people just want to tear you down. Some people want to be very critical."
Bloomquist said more and more opportunities are opening up in women's football in Canada.
"Not only can you now be a player — which we now have the opportunity to be — but you can see possibly a career in this sport," she said. "Previously, without the women's football team, you couldn't see yourself playing beyond high school. Now you can play into adulthood."