After a successful regular season the Carlton Crusaders football team will be sending two female players to the U18 Team Saskatchewan program and one to the Saskatoon Valkyries.
Grade 12 player Kinslee Cousins will eventually be a Valkyrie. Grade 9 player Tenley Cousins, who is Kinslee’s sister, and Grade 11 player Shannon Brodnacki have both made U18 Team Saskatchewan on their first attempt.
Kinslee, Tenley and Brodnacki are also on the practice squad for the Saskatoon Valkyries but Kinslee expects to make the roster once she turns 18.
“I went to their tryout slash camp in January,” Kinslee said. “They asked me my age and they’ve been trying to bring me back since. (I) have been waiting until I turn 18 to play.”
Kinslee said that even without a specific football program for girls in Prince Albert the culture of the football program helped her grow.
“I’ve been playing with the guys since Grade 8,” Kinslee said. “It’s been rough, but it definitely shows character and builds good skills.”
Kinslee was on the U18 Team Saskatchewan the previous two years. This will be Tenley and Brodnacki first time with the U18 program.
Kinslee said she came to football via family connections to the game.
“Mostly my grandpa and my dad, we’d always play in the backyard for fun,” she said. “Then all the guys were talking about it at school, so I thought I’d give it a shot and see how it’d go.”
All three players can play all over the field. Kinslee played d-line and linebacker, and lots of special teams. However, she also filled in at quarterback, running back, and the offensive line when needed.
Brodnacki has played on the line right from the start.
“I start off with D-line with the guys. I moved back to O-line last year and on the U18 team I will be playing D-line, so back and forth on the line,” she said.
Tenley meanwhile plays on the offensive line including at the centre position. Tenley said that she came to football because of the influence of her sister.
“I came because of my sister. I was a little jealous of her when she started and then I had a broken arm and then I was like, I couldn’t wait for my chance.”
Brodnacki said that she played all of the sports she could when she was growing up, but Kinslee encouraged her to stick with football.
“I was really bad at volleyball even though I really liked it, so (I thought) I might as well try something new,” Brodnacki said. “She (Kinslee) came up to me in the band room after I was saying like, ‘hey, I kind of started (football).’ She really got me on the head start of getting into the programs.”
Tenley said she has a lot of experience playing football so she wasn’t surprised to make the U18 team even at a young age. However, injuries were a concern.
Tenley said that she injured her ankle at the camp but it wasn’t enough to keep her off the field.
“I was hoping that wouldn’t affect the decision (by the coaches), and it didn’t,” Tenley said.
Brodnacki also had injury problems in camp.
“The athletic trainer had a heck of a time with me that morning with my shin splints and my knee issues. But once I got out there, it was good,” Brodnacki said. “I banged on my knee a couple times, but I survived. I lived.”
Brodnacki said she was surprised to make the team.
“That e-mail that I got while I was shopping was pretty nice,” she said. “I was changing. I was getting a new shirt, and my friends were all texting me. I’m like, ‘wait, I actually made the team,’ so that’s cool.”
Kinslee said that being on the U18 Team helped her develop as a player.
“The U18 taught a lot of great examples. I’ve played for two years and it shows a lot of sportsmanship and dedication to the team and it’s a really good experience.”
Brodnacki and Tenley both said that they were looking forward to that experience.
Brodnacki and Kinslee also encourage girls to try football.
“If you’re a girl, don’t be scared to come and try out,” Brodnacki said. “They’re not as scary as it seems.”
“(You) got to find a friend, another girl to go try it out with and do it together,” Kinslee said.
The U18 Women’s National Championship featuring U18 Team Saskatchewan is in Regina on July 22 to 29.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
