In this edition, we catch up on a women’s tackle football league that’s setting its sights on Canada, with plans to create a Canadian division. We also take a look at the results of the PWHL expansion draft for the Vancouver and Seattle teams, as well as a new coaching module focused on supporting women athletes by understanding the menstrual cycle. Lastly, we highlight some recent local events in Ontario and share key moments from each one. 

The stories of the week show girls in sport and physical activity that:

• The success and upward trajectory of women’s sports leagues and teams in Canada have demonstrated to other potential leagues that a viable product can exist in the country, and that fans are eager for more Canadian women’s teams to follow.
• Developing coaching modules that prioritize understanding menstrual cycles for girls and women in sport highlights how coaching can look different, but equally important, when supporting female athletes. Recognizing that coaching women and men may require different approaches is a necessary step forward.
• The strong turnout at local events, even for sports like rugby or football, reinforces the likelihood of success if organizations choose to host these events more frequently.

WOMEN’S PRO FOOTBALL LOOKING TO EXPAND TO CANADA

The Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), an existing women’s tackle football league, is setting its sights on Canada with plans to launch a newly formed Canadian division.

The WFA is the largest, longest-running, and most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world. Founded in 2009, it currently includes over 60 teams and operates under a tiered structure. At the top is the elite Pro Division, made up of 12 premier women’s tackle football teams.

In partnership with Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, the WFA is now seeking Canadian ownership groups interested in establishing Canadian women’s football teams or franchises in the near future.

Carly Kaplan, President of Cosmos Sports & Entertainment, spoke about Canada as an expansion market, stating that the “emergence of the WNBA in Toronto, and the launch of the NSL in Canada have all been rapid indicators of the power of women’s sports.”

PWHL VANCOUVER & SEATTLE ROSTERS forming after EXPANSION DRAFT

In preparation for PWHL Vancouver and PWHL Seattle making their debut in the upcoming 2025-26 season, the PWHL hosted an expansion draft for the two teams.

Under the draft rules, each of the six existing teams were allowed to protect three players from selection, essentially ensuring those players remained with their current teams. During the expansion draft, teams also were able to protect one additional player, bringing their protected player list to four players.

Here’s how the two new rosters are shaping up so far with certain players, following the expansion draft and ahead of the full-league 2025 PWHL Draft:

PWHL Vancouver

• Hannah Miller
• Sophie Jaques
• Emerance Maschmeyer
• Sarah Nurse
• Claire Thompson

PWHL Seattle

• Hilary Knight
• Alex Carpenter
• Jessie Eldridge
• Danielle Serdachny
• Corinne Schroeder

The 2025 PWHL Draft will take place in Ottawa, ON, on June 24 at 7 PM. You can watch it on TSN or YouTube.

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE HELPS COACHES UNDERSTAND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

A new free, online coaching module is now available, designed to educate coaches on how to support girls through the menstrual cycle. Created as part of the Coaching Her resources by the Tucker Centre for Research on Girls & Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota, the module offers research-backed guidance for coaches working with women athletes.

When reflecting on the module’s impact, coaches noted that it “highlights the importance of understanding the menstrual cycle holistically, allowing coaches to adapt training programs and provide empathetic support. By challenging harmful taboos, coaches can help build both physical and emotional resilience in young athletes, ensuring they feel confident and valued in their sporting journeys.“

The free online module is available here.

Ontario Girls and Women’s Sports Event Highlights

 

Over the past week, Kaitlyn attended and covered a variety of girls and women’s sports events across Ontario. In Welland, she was on site for Welland Girls Sports Day. In Toronto, she covered the Hoop Queens season opener and a Girls Try Rugby Day event. Then, in Hamilton, she was in attendance for Football Ontario‘s High School Girls’ Provincial Flag Championship.

Here are the highlights from each event:

Welland Girls Sports Day:

• A variety of sports to try, including sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, tennis, soccer, softball, golf, basketball, and more
• Free registration
• Strong vendor presence, including local sports organizations offering programming for girls
• Participants are grouped by age, with sport instruction tailored to each age range
• Local women athletes and coaches lead the sport demonstrations

 

Hoop Queens Season Opener:

Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!

Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@girlsforward.ca and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.