Defensive stalwart McGowan part of Storm’s championship goal
Having grown up with a love of football, it would come as no surprise to see that Aria McGowan has become a superstar in her own right. Competing with the storied Edmonton Storm franchise with the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, she has emerged as one of the cornerstones on an Edmonton defense.
“The interest for football came to me as a kid. I have always enjoyed it as friends and I would always go to the park and play and have fun. My first year playing was in grade 9 and I could not get enough from there.
While McGowan’s dream is to help the Storm capture a WWCFL title, she has already had the opportunity to be part of women’s football history in Western Canada on several occasions. In 2011, she helped the Edmonton Storm advance to the WWCFL’s inaugural championship game versus the Saskatoon Valkyries. In addition, she was named the Defensive Player of the Game in the contest.
The following year, McGowan helped make Canadian women’s sporting history. Participating with the Alberta provincial women’s football team (which featured members from rival WWCFL franchises such as the Calgary Rage and Lethbridge Steel), McGowan competed in the first-ever Canadian national women’s football championships.
Although the event was also an opportunity to evaluate potential talent for the Canadian contingent that would compete at the 2013 IFAF Women’s Worlds, the opportunity to compete on a national stage with the greatest female football players Canada had to provided a lifetime of memories. For McGowan, donning the Team Alberta jersey would prove to be a treasured experience.
“Playing for Team Alberta was such an amazing experience and I hope to get another chance at it. I had the chance to meet so many great athletes and play at a whole new level of football and was (even) named one of the games MVP’s. I was asked to try out for Team Canada from there.”
Having helped the Storm reach the Western Conference final in the 2013 WWCFL postseason, McGowan is a consistent performer that is bound to return to the championship stage in the future. Testament to her talents on defense was the privilege of being named the Storm’s Most Outstanding Player on Defense for 2013. Despite her talents, it is her humility and team-first approach that makes her a remarkable member of the squad.
“It felt amazing to receive the defensive MVP this year for the Storm. I was pushed hard by my coaching staff to step up as a team player and leader for the team. I have never worked so hard in a season as I did this year and I owe my accomplishments to my teammates and coaches without them it would not have been possible.”
With the Edmonton Storm having knocked on the championship door so many times, McGowan and her teammates are eager to crash it down and become the first team from Alberta to grab the WWCFL championship. In discussing what it will take to win a championship, she mentioned the following,
“We have a great group of women and are always looking for more. We have the personnel to win a championship and I know that we can. It will take hard work, lots of practice and listening to our coaches. We have all the skills of a great team and lots of heart and I have no doubts that we can win a championship this year.”
“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”
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