Family affair

Football a family affair for Rage’s Barnett

As one of the mainstays on the Calgary Rage offensive line, Cindy Barnett is engaging in a labor of love. Proud to don the black and red jersey, she is among a wondrous group of Western Canadian women breaking barriers and challenging cultural norms. Employing maturity and perspective, Barnett helps to bring a veteran presence to a squad that featured many new faces in 2013.

For Barnett, football is truly a family affair. With her love of the gridiron game stemmed from family, the interest in the game conveys strong emotion. Sandwiched between her father’s following of the game and her son’s desire to compete, it was inevitable that she would eventually transcend into the game.

“I first became interested in football when my son started to play. Atom football was not all that exciting to begin with but once he started to play Pee-Wee, I began to understand football all the more. My Father was a huge football fan and all my life while growing up. Even as an adult, the CFL was a big part of our lives. My dad had tried for years to teach me all about the game of football but I had no desire back then to learn.”

Having cultivated a love to compete on the gridiron in her later years, the result has brought new friendships and an opportunity to share in the experience of a game that her son also enjoys. While she has been part of the WWCFL emerging as part of the Western Canadian sporting conversation, an event in her first season is the one that has brought her the most memorable moment as a player.

“My best moment with the Rage was during my first season. We were playing the championship game, it was the fourth quarter and we were losing. We punted the ball to Edmonton and the receiver of the kick started to run to my side of the field. I ran over to her, picked her up and chucked her down onto the field. The feeling of accomplishment you get from a good hit and/or tackle is one that is not easily forgotten. That was the most exciting moment I have ever had in a football game or even practice.”

Competing on the offensive line, Barnett is playing at one of the most crucial positions. While the O-line may sometimes be lost in the glorious moments that occur, their value in bringing efficiency to the offense is one that all players can attest to. Although she may be slightly undersized, Barnett addresses the challenge by compensating with focus, humility and concentration.

“I would have to say that I feel that my biggest challenge in playing on the Offensive Line is my size. I am shorter in height and also have a smaller arm length than most of the girls I play against. This makes blocking and keeping your blocks a bit hard.”

As the 2013 represented a transition for the proud Rage franchise, the chemistry that was developed is one that Barnett hopes shall create strong momentum in the optimistic 2014 to come. Like all her teammates, the focus on winning a coveted championship is stronger than ever. Having enjoyed their first .500 season in WWCFL history, Barnett can attest to the importance of teamwork.

In discussing what it will take to become the first Alberta-based WWCFL team to claim said championship, she stated,
“For the Rage to win a championship it will take team work. Each and every one of us needs to TRUST our teammates. Each player needs to play to their fullest and remember it is a team sport and every one matters. If we play as a solid unit like I know we can, we could be unstoppable. We need to believe in ourselves and our teammates without a doubt that we can do it. Let the past be the past.”

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”

Photo credit: Candice Ward Photography