WWCFL Annual General Meeting on November 3rd

For all the athletes who state that there is no off-season, Kait DiNunzio of the Calgary Rage can attest to such a notion. As a key member of the Rage linebacking corps, she is also an integral member of the administrative side of the game. Helping to build a solid future for the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, she brings tremendous maturity and acumen to the group of dedicated women and men who provide their knowledge and time.

As the league holds its Annual General Meeting in the off-season, it is an integral component towards the league’s plans for the future while reflecting and learning to build on past performances.

“The WWCFL AGM is coming up next month (November 3) and one of the first items we’ll be looking at post-AGM is committee work. We learned a lot last season having voted in our first set of official bylaws, all of which was captured in an Action/Lessons Learned log at the Executive level. Through those learnings, we have come to see where the strengths and weaknesses in the WWCFL are; our Executive is determined to avoid making the same mistakes twice.”

Considering that the WWCFL is one of the fastest growing sports leagues in Canada, it is essential to maintain such momentum. One of the greatest legacies of the WWCFL is the fact that it has allowed many women with the opportunity to continue their athletic careers past university, while allowing other women or to take the plunge and experience the essence of competition and teambuilding for the first time.

DiNunzio discusses the commitment towards strengthening the league’s future with the implementation of various strategic committees.

“We intend on striking three committees to help drive on-going, well managed change this season: Bylaw Committee (current standing committee), MarCom Committee and League Development. The intent and focus of the League Development committee will be to how we intend on strengthening the teams we currently have in the league and determine how we broaden our footprint on the sporting community in Canada.

Perhaps from that committee, a friendly exhibition (with another league) may come about. It’s hard to say if we will ever go cross-border, but I would not suggest that it is totally impossible.”

In addition to the administrative responsibilities of ensuring the league runs smoothly, the off-season also results in the various franchises working towards maintaining their focus of building a roster that can compete for a championship. The commitment is one that DiNunzio remarked continues to grow,

“Each team drives their own programming to keep their players skilled, focused and maintain team wellness. I know quite a bit has been happening across the league from teams hosting camps to fundraising to community engagement and then finally into showcasing their players online in various ways.

I also know quite a few of the teams are participating in one way or another with the Grey Cup celebrations in Regina next month. Each team has been VERY busy in the off- season, it is really impressive to see.”

While the workload and time encompass a tremendous responsibility, it is a labour of love for DiNuznio.Her great personal rewards are the enjoyment of working with a remarkable group of individuals looking to keep this an exciting time in the nascent history of the WWCFL.

“The League Executive has been in active contact with the teams; we do back off a bit and let the teams recover from the season, enjoy their summer holidays and get back into their autumn routines (training, work, school, kids) while we plan in the background.

We are continuously working on communications (with the public, teams, individuals), financials and preparations for the upcoming season. For example, our AGM planning started in late August, and our Bylaw Committee is currently working on developing a proposal for bylaw amendments for the 2014 season.

Other things, like conflicts with new emergent leagues in Canada or team concerns/needs are also continuously on our radar. It is a busy gig, but a great one, especially when you are surrounded with a great team of people.”

“All quotes obtained first hand unless otherwise indicated”