Mira Trebilcock ’12, a four-year letter winner on the Forester women’s hockey team and three-year letter winner on the women’s soccer team, continues to compete at an elite level as a professional football player. The Regina Riots, an elite-level women’s tackle football program competing in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL), rely on Trebilcock to serve as a safety for their team. Heading into her fifth season with the Riots, she has assisted the team to three championships, and is a two-year team captain.
Women’s tackle football is often unheard of, but is consistently growing in both the United States and Canada. The WWCFL consists of eight teams, each with approximately 55 players. The rosters consist of women from all ages and backgrounds with the average age between 20 and 22. Because the sport is still growing, athletes typically come from competitive athletic backgrounds other than football, such as basketball, hockey, rugby, and other physical sports.
Trebilcock’s opportunity to compete for the Riots came from a colleague’s suggestion that she might enjoy trying out for another tough sport due to her competitive spirit and background as a two-sport athlete. Her time spent in the hockey rink and on the soccer field at Lake Forest College prepared her for success as a professional football player by improving her footwork and agility, while teaching her how to read a field and team mid-game, all of which related directly to her role on the Riots. Trebilcock currently works full-time as the Director of Development at Mother Teresa Middle School in Regina, Saskatchewan, but spends the months of January through March in preseason and April through June in traditional season with her teammates.
Aside from competing on the field, the team embraces the movement of growing athletic opportunities for women through involvement in youth and high school touch and flag football leagues, Special Olympic floor hockey programs, and Athletes Against Bullying initiatives.
During her time at Lake Forest College, Trebilcock majored in psychology and minored in neuroscience, competed on two varsity athletic teams, served as on Athletic Council, and completed an internship with the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association. All of these experiences combined to help develop her time management and organizational skills. She also credits the College’s diverse class offerings, as well as her experience with two separate head coaches, for much of her successes post-graduation. These experiences allowed her access to a huge breadth of knowledge, and encouraged her to explore multiple points of view and disciplines in all aspects of life.
As a former Forester, Trebilcock wants to leave a bit of advice for current student-athletes, “Enjoy the moment and the journey you are on right now. There will be ups and downs, but it is such a great experience to be involved in academics and athletics.” One of her favorite recent memories was traveling back to Lake Forest for an Alumni Day event, seeing her former teammates and coaches, and experiencing that family-like environment that can only be found in ‘The Forest.’ She encourages current students to embrace all that comes with being a collegiate athlete, and reminds them not to forget to return to campus now and again after their journey at the College is over.