Among the alumnae from the Manitoba Girls Football Association, Julie Sprague has graduated to the Manitoba Fearless of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL). While Sprague has embraced football as her sport of choice, her introduction to the sport was an accident,
“As a kid I was very aggressive, usually too aggressive for some of the other sports I played like basketball and volleyball. Being at 5’7”, 260 lb, going on 14 years old, it really did not make me the best skier, boxer, swimmer or horse back rider.
I was a big aggressive kid looking for and identity, what better sport than football? Well, at first I asked my mom to play rugby because I did not know there was girls football. When my mom went looking for a rugby team, she found the MGFA. Since that moment, I have fallen in love with the sport.”
Being part of the MGFA was more than just a chance to play football. It was part of a remarkable sporting movement for women in Canada. To participate in such an opportunity proved to be a source of great enjoyment for Sprague, fulfilling an athletic identity. Calling herself a football player represented a great point of personal pride,
“By the end of my first MGFA season, I was in love and proudly called my self a football player. Already, I was singing up for my local midget team for that fall. Besides all the friends and amazing experiences, the most enjoyable part of the MGFA was finding my passion and identity.”
Among a group of young women that have graced the gridiron in Manitoba, their collaborative efforts are attributed to the efforts of some empowering women whose efforts transformed them into role models. One of those women was Lisa Cummings, who simultaneously carved a proud gridiron legacy as a member of the WWCFL’s Manitoba Fearless.
“Lisa Cummings was the first person I met when I started playing football. I am so thankful that she was there my first season pushing me to go that step farther and just a little faster because trust me, I needed the push.
After my first season, Lisa was still there for me every time I needed her, in the ups and downs of my football career. Now, she is like a second mom to me even thought she has a million other things to worry about.
She always has time to make sure I am doing ok. As well, I look up to her and am very thankful for the fact that she was one of the few who started MGFA and made it possible for me to fall in love with the sport. There are so many things that I could say about Lisa but to sum it up, she is an inspiration to me and helps me strive to do better.”
As the Manitoba Fearless represents the next stage of her football career, Sprague still brings her high level of motivation and desire to compete. While WWCFL football brought with it an adjustment, she showed great determination. Making her Fearless debut at the tender age of 16, her maturity and willingness to learn have served as great tools for the proud future destined to lay ahead,
“When I first stepped on the Fearless, there were so many different emotions running through me. I was scared and nervous. Being a 16 year old and playing against people twice my age, worried that I would not be good enough. I was mainly just excited to be back playing the sport I love and to make a new step in my career as a young female football player.”
“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”
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