Portage woman a groundbreaker

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This article was published 25/06/2021 (1926 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Portage la Prairie woman who has dedicated much of her life to team sports, as a player and coach, says she is going to make the most out of a new coaching opportunity, a first at the varsity level.

Jill Fast is set to become the first female head coach in the Winnipeg High School Football League as she steps into the role with the Portage Collegiate Institute Trojans this fall. A position she hopes will inspire other women to step on to the gridiron.

“I guess it’s nice to be a role model and hopefully inspire other women and girls by either playing football or getting involved in coaching,” said Fast.

“I know there are lots out there that are. If I can help inspire more, then that’s great.”

Fast has been heavily involved in football over the last decade. She found her start in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

“I started playing in the league in 2011 and I’ve been playing linebacker,” said Fast.

“I really enjoy playing actual tackle football. My playing experience definitely helps with coaching. With the pandemic we’ve been on pause, I’m excited to get back playing again too.”

A year later, Fast’s ability gave her the chance to play at the provincial level.

“I represented Team Manitoba in 2012 at a national tournament, it was in Laval, Que., playing at that level,” said Fast.

“That was a great experience. Around the same time I was called up to Team Canada but I couldn’t play because I tore my ACL. It was nice to be selected at least.”

Her love for the game hasn’t gone unnoticed by the WHSFL’s management.

“This is a phenomenal hire for PCI,” said WHSFL commissioner Jeffrey Bannon.

“Jill was exciting to watch play for the Wolfpack, and to see her develop into an exceptional coach will benefit the PCI program to the fullest.”

By 2014, Fast who had become a phys-ed teacher started building a name for herself as a coach at Portage Collegiate Institute.

“I coached five seasons and started out with linebackers and defense,” said Fast. “Five seasons with the Trojans have been really good.”

As she transitions to head coach, the familiarity with the team has made her job easier but Fast notes there will be more responsibilities. She is grateful for the mentorship over the past three years working with former Trojans head coach Don Burrell who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 1980s.

The new head coach says women need more exposure to football in Manitoba to gain appreciation of the sport. Fast noted the Manitoba Girls Football Association as an example of an opprotunity for females to get involved.

“The fact that women’s tackle football has been around since 2011, I think promoting both of those is really healthy for women,” said Fast.

Fast’s Wolfpack teammate Christine O’Donnell, is delighted by the opportunity for her friend to take on this new role. O’Donnell is inspired by the move as she has been coaching the defensive line in tackle football at a community youth level in Winnipeg for more than 13 years.

“I think it’s really exciting to see how women are getting opportunities in football,” said O’Donnell.

“Seeing someone become a high school coach is a big thing, that’s what everyone strives for. It’s like ‘oh my gosh, she became a head coach, now I can do it too.’”

Fast and O’Donnell have known each other for more than a decade and both play linebacker. They love the physicality of the sport.

“Of all the sports, football is everything you do, you hit hard, you block hard, you don’t have to hold back,” said Fast.

“When you seriously crack somebody so hard and you see them hit the dirt is the best feeling in the world,” said O’Donnell.

After coaching both boys and girls, Fast and O’Donnell say there is a position for everyone on the field.

“As a coach we can find a position for you, because there are 12 players on the field, 24 players on the team, it definitely is the ultimate team sport,” said Fast.

“Seeing an 11-year-old the other day, from 13 years ago and hearing how he is now playing for the Winnipeg Rifles is crazy, I love that connection,” said O’Donnell.

jbernacki@freepress.mb.ca

@JosephBernacki