CCWFL cornerstone

Allen emerges as cornerstone for growing CCWFL

As the Central Canadian Women’s Football League (CCWFL) prepares for its inaugural season in 2015, one of its key members shall be Nicole Allen. Proudly serving as the Head Athletic Therapist for Team Ontario Football, an initial communication with the league resulted in the basis for the beginning of a potentially strong football relationship.

“I originally contacted the CCWFL for the purpose of providing medical coverage
for their events. I am a Certified Athletic Therapist and I have worked in all levels of football from Atom to the Canadian Football League (CFL) and wanted a new challenge professionally.

In talking with Aaron (Ellis) and learning about the league and their goals, I knew I wanted to take a bigger role in helping them succeed. I am very passionate about the sport of football and everything it stands for.”

Educated, articulate and enthusiastic, Allen truly represents the positive goals and the hopes that the league has in giving women from Ontario an opportunity to engage in football. With her experience as a trainer, she understands the bonds that can be forged on the gridiron.

In addition to Team Ontario football, she has also engaged in athletic therapy for the University of Guelph Gryphons athletics program, working in varsity football, women’s volleyball and rugby. Her remarkable wealth of sporting experience will only serve to inspire.

“There is no other sport like it that brings young athletes together as a family. It takes a great deal of sacrifice, time management, teamwork, discipline and dedication on behalf of everyone involved to be successful. I have had the chance to travel the country with Team Ontario, bringing the National Championship Cup back to Ontario and even fulfilling a lifelong dream of being on the turf at Cowboys Stadium in February at the International Bowl in Arlington.

More than that, I have met some of the best people I know and developed friendships with players and coaches from across the province. Football has been talked about as being the sport where anyone and everyone can find a niche and way to excel. It takes all kinds of personalities, body types and athletic skills to come together as a team but until now, that has included everyone but women. It is this kind of family atmosphere and sport experience that women have not had the opportunity to be a part of and I want to be integral in changing that.”

Gracing the gridiron with a strong athletic background, it is a factor that certainly makes Allen one to watch in the upcoming season. Rugby, soccer and field hockey are some of the sports that Allen displayed remarkable proficiency. Although she comments with great humility on whether her skills will benefit her as a football player, her maturity will serve her well as a valued teammate.

“I feel like I am going into this with a pretty good understanding of the rules, plays
and energy that surrounds football. Hopefully this better prepares me for the physical aspect of the game. Yet, other than that I do not think it will benefit me much and I think that is a good thing.”

One element that shall benefit the budding league is the lessons learned from other proud women’s leagues in Canada. Observing the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) and Maritime Women’s Football League (MWFL), a key factor in their growth is based in the fact that women from all ages, backgrounds, body types and other sports have been welcomed, resulting in everyone feeling a sense of contribution and belonging. It is a message that Allen proudly preaches,

“What we are trying to get every woman to understand is that there is a place for EVERYONE in football. We have spoken to leagues across Canada about their recruiting processes and happily found that football draws women from all different sports and activities as well as those who have never played sports at all.

Basketball players can make great receivers, rugby players have experience with contact, dancers will excel with agility and quickness, and there is a place for everyone. All you need is a willingness to try something new and be a part of history in Ontario. We can teach the rest.”

In her football career, one moment that will likely be a great subject of interest was her involvement as an intern with the Toronto Argonauts. Contributing to the franchise in the early stages of their road towards a Grey Cup championship in 2012, Allen’s involvement was significant, as it showed the importance of women in the traditionally male dominated environment of football,

“I only worked with the Argos during preseason and training camp; so sadly, I did not get a ring. The experience however was incredible. The organization and coaching staff were very supportive of all the interns and gave us every opportunity to succeed.

It did not matter if the athlete was a starter or a rookie, we all were given the same opportunity to work on each athlete, demonstrate our skills and learn new ones to take forward. It was a brief and intense look into the life of an Athletic Therapist at the professional level and only fueled my desire to end up back there some time soon.”

While Allen was not part of the glorious finish to the Argonauts season, a key moment in training camp would prove to be an encouraging one. Sharing a meal with fellow interns resulted in the surprise visit of a guest who

“One of my take away moments was eating lunch during camp when Head Coach Scott Milanovich came over to all the interns and sat down with us. He took the time to get to know each one of us and make sure we were enjoying our experience with the organization.

Being a female Athletic Therapist at the pro level is not all too common, but he and the rest of the staff really wanted to make sure we were being treated with respect and professionalism. I think that it is a good representation of the organization as a whole that is reflected in their strong support of this league.”

Having appeared at the June 28 skills camp that the CCWFL hosted in Vaughan, (located north of Toronto), it was a bird’s eye view of some of the promising players to come. The caliber of potential football talent was a window into the future, hopefully serving as the launching pad for greater times to come.

Proudly representing the league at the event, Allen had the opportunity to observe the ambitious ladies in action, listening to their stories and sharing in a feeling of friendship and empowerment. Enthused at what she observed, Allen shares her views,

“I am very impressed and very excited. We had a lot of talented girls come out and bring a ton of energy and enthusiasm. I watched each and every one of them listened intently, take in the information and perform. The specific skills may be new to some but the learning curve was quick.

We also had a lot of women show up who had decades of experience in flag, touch and Powder-puff football, who have the potential to be incredible leaders. I can tell you these women are out to compete and will impress you with their athleticism and passion. I’m beyond excited for the next time we hit the field and strap on the pads.”

More than just an ambassador and a spokesperson for CCWFL football, Allen is a real-life example of the great potential that the inaugural season and the following seasons to come promises.

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”