CFL program gives women coaching, management experience as league tries to boost inclusivity

In a black sweater emblazoned with a galloping white horse, Tatrina Medvescek blends in with all the other Calgary Stampeders coaches standing on the sidelines at an early May practice.

Throughout the afternoon, she participates in drills, directs players through sprints and watches them carefully as they continue the session.

Medvescekhasplayed with the Calgary Rage, thewomen's tackle football team part of the Western Women's Canadian Football League (WWCFL) for 14 years. She also has experience coachingminor and high school football, and is in herthird year of officiating.

But she never thought she'd be standing on the field at McMahon Stadium.

"There isn't a lot of females involved in football, so sometimes it can be intimidating coming into an organization, or a men's football program," she said.

"But you know what? Women have put in their time as well. Sometimes taking different paths to get there. It's football at the end of the day, and it's for everyone."

Medvescek is part of the second cohort of women taking part in the Canadian Football League's Women in Football program.

For four weeks through training camps, one woman joins each of the CFL's nine clubs to gain knowledge, mentorship and practical experience in professional football, both in management and coaching positions. The women are paid a stipend and are reimbursed up to $1,000 for travel costs. The placements wrap up on June 3.

Jay McNeil, vice president of business operations with the Calgary Stampeders, says it's incumbent on the CFL to grow the game of football.

"We can see the expansion of the women's game, and so to be able to give women the opportunity to come and be a part of this, I think it's a huge success," he said.

Currently, the CFL has 11 women in coaching, therapeutic and management positions, including Laurence Pontbriand, the senior manager of football and officiating development with the league.

She says whereas a lot of men have connections in the football world, it's harder for some women to get a foot in the door.

"We think women deserve to be there," she said. "We truly believe that having a more diverse pool of candidates that are being hired by the club will make just greater football in general."

The program received more than 150 applications last year, and another 60 to 70 this year.

Two women gained full-time employment at the end of the program last year.

"We want to see women hired from those programs, and it also shows that the program is working because those talented women made a good impression during those four weeks and the club decided to hire them afterwards," Pontbriand said.

Medvescekis hopeful she'll also be able to snag a permanent position at the end of her stint with the Stampeders.

"I'm going to work hard and I'm going to be involved and work as much as I can to hopefully transition into something else," she said.

Passion for football

Medvescek is working with the defensive side of the Stampeders. She herself is a safety with the Calgary Rage.

The Rage has experienced a boost in popularity in recent years, with dozens more signing up and showing interest.

Although Medvescek loves to be on the field, she says she knows she can't play football forever.

"Getting into the coaching side of things and being around this amazing organization is kind of the next step that I want to take in my career," she said.

Stamps head coach Dave Dickenson says they're excited to have Medvescek join them, and he's looking forward to seeing her transform from a player to a coach.

"Sometimes you've got to give hard love, sometimes you maybe have to find that edge to motivate your players in a different fashion than you would as a player," he said.

"She fits in well with our coaching staff, our players I'm just excited to see what she can do."

Medvescek's fellow Rage teammates areexcited to see her making the most of the opportunity.

Twyla Misurko is the general manager and chief organizational officer of the team.

"[She] exemplifies everything that is football and she eats, lives and breathes it. She's brilliant, and she's a great representation to have with the Stampeders who've opened up their doors to us, not just through her, but they're facilitating us as a program as well, and it's great."

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More work to do

For Vicki Hall, the program is a great step forward, but she's hoping it's the first of several initiatives to boost representation within the CFL.

Hall is a journalism instructor at SAITand a freelance sports journalist, covering the CFL for more than two decades. Later this year, she will be the first woman inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

When she started in the industry, Hall says she was one of the only women around the league.

That's changed somewhat, but there's more to do, she says. She'd like to see the program extend to more women, and beyond four weeks.

"There should be nothing that stops a woman from working in football if that's what she wants to do," she said.

"I think that from a business standpoint, it's a smart move for them, but it's also just a good move because it's the right thing to do."

Back at McMahon Stadium, Medvescek sprints across the field as she help Stampeders players run through a positioning drill.

She says the team is getting back into gear, working on their communication, speed and teamwork ahead of the regular season.

She's working hard too, taking steps to reach her own goal.

"I never would have thought when I started playing football this is where I'd be today," she said.

"Honestly, I did it because I wanted to play football. I wanted to be involved in football. I'm going to keep going with this and take everything I can get."