Dani Reid helped lead Team Alberta to gold at the first ever U16 Female Western Showcase in Calgary this month.
The 15-year-old, who plays D-line and long snapper, was named team captain this season. The tournament ran July 13-18. Four teams competed: Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Central Alberta Fire, a club team out of Red Deer Minor Football. Alberta beat the Fire in the gold medal game.
“This year with having four teams and needing to win against strong opponents to advance, it was such a fantastic feeling winning gold,” Dani said.
A five-year journey
Dani started playing football five years ago after watching her brothers play. She spent her first three seasons on boys’ teams before switching to all-girls football, travelling to St. Albert three to four times a week for two years to play.
The commute paid off. Dani played for the St. Albert Valkyries, helping the team win the province’s first ever female provincial championship and repeat as champions the following year.
“I want girls to know that football is for everyone, there is a space for all girls,” Dani said.
She said the hardest part of the sport isn’t always physical.
“One tough part in sport is injury. While you may feel like mentally you can, your body will need time to heal,” Dani said.
Building the game from the ground up
Krista Reid, Dani’s mother, said the sport has shaped her daughter well beyond the field.
“Football has taught Dani patience and resilience,” Krista said. “From a young age she had to work hard to prove herself, train in the off-season and be realistic about her goals and abilities.”
Krista said she’s watched her daughter grow into a leader without necessarily realizing it herself.
“I would say I notice she instinctively takes on a leadership role on and off the field,” Krista said.
This past season, the Reid family helped launch a new regional option for girls in the sport. The Wheatland RipTide, a female football team, played its first season in the Capital District Minor Football League under head coach Derek Zapisocki.
The U16 Western Showcase itself is new. Football Alberta and the Southern Alberta Female Football League hosted the U18 Football Canada Nationals in July 2025, which led to organizers building a U16 tournament for this year. Sixty-three girls tried out for the Alberta squad, with 24 making the trip to a first tournament in Kelowna last year before this year’s four-team showcase in Calgary.
“Our goal is to grow the game, give young ladies a community, and empower women leaders through sport,” said Elisha Torraville, Football Alberta’s female development director.
Families interested in girls’ tackle football in the region can contact the Wheatland RipTide directly for more information on trying out.
Read more: Three Lloydminster cheerleaders make Team Alberta
