The following story is by Bear Creek Secondary School co-op student Bridgette Gilroy.
Bear Creek’s senior girls flag football team has had a roller-coaster of a season.
The Kodiaks have registered wins against Barrie North and Innisdale, fallen to Nantyr Shores and Eastview, and mustered a tie against Orillia.
They will now play Innisdale again on Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m. at Bear Creek in a preliminary round match-up. The winner of that game plays Eastview on Thursday in the quarterfinals.
The south-end school’s flag football team includes 17 players, with nine Grade 11s and eight Grade 12s, alongside coaches Jennifer Omand and Jane Ball.
“With any sport, at the start of the season it can be a little rough,” says Grade 12 student Nyah Miller, who plays inside right and guard on the Bear Creek team.
She has been on the school’s flag football team for three years and finds the most exciting thing about the sport is living up to personal expectations.
“Setting goals for myself and actually achieving those and then doing well," Miller says. "Even when we lose, I want to be proud of myself.”
Along with many of her teammates, Miller's pre-game ritual of choice is listening to upbeat music, which she says is perfect for getting in the mindset to play.
Grade 12 offensive and defensive centre Olivia Upshaw has been on the team for all four years of high school, and also plays for Bear Creek’s softball and rugby teams.
Upshaw’s dedication and love for the sport is apparent on and off the field.
“You have to want it in order to win,” she says.
Upshaw says she gravitated toward flag football for its energy and team spirit.
“It’s not a very aggressive game … it's more just fun. And it's not really a very popular sport, I feel. So it’s fun to be able to talk to people who don’t know about it," she says.
Upshaw has plenty of pre-game rituals and traditions, from eating waffles to tapping her foot with her bat.
Cecelia Agostino, who is in Grade 11, plays the right and centre positions for the offensive side. She has been involved in Bear Creek sports since her first year of high school (wrestling and track, to name a few).
She says she enjoys flag football specifically as she likes the excitement of “playing a sport that I was never able to play as a kid because football is not as big with girls.”
Agostino feels optimistic about the upcoming playoffs.
“We’ve had some really good games … but I think overall we’re a really good team. We just have to keep working together and find our harmony on the field," she says.
A common thread throughout the Kodiaks team is their belief in the importance of team bonding.
“You could have a team full of incredible athletes and they can all hate each other — then you don’t have a team. I think genuine teams … they’re built on friendships,” says Abi Chalut, who's in Grade 12.
“If you can’t bond together and work well together off the field, then it's never going to work on the field,” says Upshaw.
“When you first meet people, you’re always scared to work with them," says Grade 12 quarterback and wide receiver Mackenzie Rankin. "What’s their thought process? Communication and being able to talk to each other and building that bond is so important.”
Rankin has been on the flag football team at Bear Creek throughout high school, but has only been a quarterback since Grade 10.
“I’ve always wanted to be a quarterback since I was a kid, so … when I finally got the opportunity in Grade 10, I was astounded. I was so excited," she says.
Rankin beams with optimism and hope for her team, noting that it's the memories you make with your teammates that you take away from the game when it's all said and done.
“We’re having so much fun and that's really all that matters," she says. "Hey, if we don't make it, who cares? We had such a good time.”
Grade 12 wide receiver Abi Chalut, who has been on the team for three years, says that despite having similar girls on the team, it's a whole new experience. Everyone’s skill level and relationship with each other is progressing.
“I’ve played hockey my whole life, but flag … I like the atmosphere of flag football better,” says Chalut, who has found a new love for flag football for its energy. “It's intense, but at the end of the day everyone walks out with a smile on their face.”
Preparing for the games can also be difficult.
“You can try mentally, you can try physically to get prepared in that kind of way, but … what happens in a game happens in a game. It’s out of your control. I’m just hoping for the best," Miller says.
Agostino says that when you’re on the field, it's about the sport.
“If there’s a problem, you have a problem with someone, just keep it off the field," she says.
Chalut urges other girls to participate in sports.
“Don't be scared to do school sports,” she says. “I didn’t play anything in Grade 9 and I regret it so much. Do what you can, not even just sports. Clubs, anything. Don't be scared.”
Despite its 2-2-1 record, coach Jennifer Omand says the team has continued to bond.
“I’m very thankful to Ms. Omand for being such a flexible and understanding coach. She’s extremely helpful,” says Upshaw. “I feel like everybody should play flag football; it's been the best four years.”
The Simcoe County Athletics Association (SCAA) quarterfinals for senior girls flag football will be taking place on Oct. 24, with the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association (GBSSA) championship to follow on Nov. 5 at Georgian College's J.C. Massie Field.
