Becky Heninger brings big game ability to Canada’s roster

A multi-talented athlete with a driven passion for the game, Rebekkah (Becky) Heninger is a reliable and dedicated competitor, whose efficient efforts and willingness to go the extra mile established her as one of the WWCFL’s hardest-working heroes of the gridiron. Such hard work paid positive dividends, as Heninger’s heroics, were among the most endearing elements at the 2017 IFAF Women’s World Championships.

Hosted in Vancouver, British Columbia, the chance for Heninger to make her debut on home soil brought with it a highly treasured sense of achievement, an inspiring validation for such a dignified and remarkable athlete who represents the game’s exciting future. The impact of such an amazing individual is embedded in the potential that this new generation of empowering players represents.

With an athletic background that involves Player of the Year honors in basketball with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, Heninger’s most endearing facet may be her humility. Reflecting on the euphoria of being named to Canada’s roster, the combination of numerous emotions only encompassed the kind of character and effort that are among her great qualities.

“I was pleasantly surprised, then excited, and finally honoured. I have always wanted to represent this wonderful country and I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to do so.”

The unfolding narrative in Heninger’s gridiron journey involved establishing herlsef as an eminent competitor within the ranks of the WWCFL. Having donned the colors of the Lethbridge Steel, where she was recognized as Team MVP in 2012, this season would result in Heninger making her mark with the Calgary Rage, earning Offensive Player of the Year honors as the team’s starting quarterback.

Adding to such a feat was the fact that Heninger also helped the Calgary Rage reach the elusive pinnacle of a Western Conference title. Appearing in the WWCFL championship game, she also led Lethbridge to the finals in 2012, it quantified her impact as a superstar, resulting in a concrete memory in her career.

Heninger’s heroics in Vancouver held the audience captive, helping propel Canada back into the podium picture. Seeing action in all of Canada’s games in Vancouver, with the number 20 adorning her jersey, she proved to be a perfect fit on the defense. Although she was separated from her usual position on offense, she was excellent in her performance as a defensive back. Although there was an element of multi-tasking involved when the players gained the opportunities to wear the jerseys for the first time, it was a sensation which would be later absorbed in its full appreciation.

“The first time I put on the jersey….well, we were kind of in a rush. As we were getting our passports checked when I put the jersey on for the first time, so it was a moment that kind of flew by. Yet, the first time I stepped on the field…that was pretty special.”

Against Great Britain, Heninger recorded a pair of interceptions, nullifying their offensive ambitions, helping to preserve Canada’s lead. By game’s end, Heninger’s efforts were crucial, as Canada qualified for its third consecutive gold medal game in IFAF history.

Competing against their eternal rivals, the United States, Heninger helped to restore the belief that an upset was possible. After Carly Dyck, a former teammate with the Steel, who was also making her debut for Canada at the 2017 Worlds, kicked the game’s opening points, the first time that the US did not hold a lead in IFAF gold medal game history, it was an indication that the competitive gap between the two gridiron powers was quickly closing.

In spite of the US holding a 21-9 lead at halftime, Heninger provided one of the tournament’s memorable performances in the fourth quarter. After Lisa Horton scored the only touchdown of the third quarter, extended the US lead to 18 points, Heninger worked tirelessly to turn the tide in Canada’s favor.

Recovering a fumble in the fourth quarter, Heninger’s athletic gifts were prominently on display, returning the fumble 67-yards for a touchdown. With Dyck adding the extra point, Heninger’s touchdown only added to the sense of history on this day, as it marked the first time that any team scored double digits against the US.

Although the US responded with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth, clinching their third straight gold medal, Heninger’s heroics provided the proud host Canadians with the belief that the dominant US squad was no longer as indestructible as once perceived.

On this day, the rest of the football world certainly caught up to Heninger. Although she is quick to acknowledge that the touchdown was attributed to a complete team effort on defense, her jubilant revelation of how the play developed, and the obligatory celebration afterwards, embody the love of the game that all brought to the gridiron.

“It is true I did manage to score a touchdown in the gold medal game, but football is a team sport and just like any team sport it requires all of the players to be successful. I just capitalized on an opportunity that my teammates were selfless enough to give me.

I would not have gotten that touchdown if it weren’t for the tenacity of my teammates forcing their quarterback to make a fumble and I was just in the right spot at the right time.

As soon as I saw that ball bouncing on the ground all I could think about was how I had to grab it and get out of there. That being said, it was a pretty unforgettable experience. To be so completely out of breath but so amped up at the same time, and to have all your teammates meet you in the end zone to celebrate and jump on you when we were so far back in our own end…it is unexplainable. And like I said, an unforgettable moment.”

Embodying the meaning of sportsmanship, summing up the values of hard work, Heninger emphasizes that she has always played for the sheer enjoyment. Undoubtedly, that sense of enjoyment reached a new apex as she gained the opportunity to don Canada’s colors in Vancouver.

While the IFAF Women’s Worlds shall certainly provide a lifetime of memories for Heninger, the friendships made and the feeling of community among all the women that represented their respective countries represented a victory that could not be measured in points or awards. Proud of achieving the dream of international competition, Becky Heninger is poised to become a woman of stature in the gridiron game, a legend destined to grow.

“What I enjoyed the most as I always do is playing. We had a lot of fun as a team and it was a blast being in our own country for the tournament, but all that extra stuff is just bonus for me.I have made some great friends, and gotten to learn a lot from some great coaches, but the thing that I love is playing.

There is a feeling that comes with playing sports for me. There’s the challenge, the effort, the determination, and the victory that comes with playing sports. Being able to play on an international platform is something I have been longing to do since I was a kid. So the love of playing and competing at that level was definitely my favourite moment.”

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”

Photo credits: Diz Ruptive Photography