Saadia Ashraf is an American football coach for Team Canada, Team Quebec, and the Montreal Blitz Football Organizations. She is also a former championship quarterback of Team Canada, Team Quebec and the Montreal Blitz. [1] She has a Bachelor of Education degree in Physical Education from McGill University, and works as a high school teacher in Montreal. She also actively coaches youth girls and boys flag football in the high school GMAA/RSEQ league. In addition she has been the head coach of the John Abbott College Women’s Flag Football team since 1996. (Quebec). [2]
While she was in high school Ashraf’s parents did not permit her to play contact sports. During this time she started playing touch football. [3] In her early twenties she joined the Montreal Blitz as a quarterback, and in 2004 bought the team when the original owners wanted to sell. In 2010 she played in the first ever IFAF Women's Worlds in Sweden, winning a silver medal. In 2012 she won the Independent Women's Football League world championship with the Montreal Blitz. In 2013 she again quarterbacked Team Canada to a silver medal at the IFAF Women World's, this time in Finland. [4]
Ashraf has coached several different women's tackle football teams including Team Canada (Quarterbacks), Team Quebec (Head Coach), and the Montreal Blitz (Head Coach). [5] She is also the head coach of the flag football team at John Abbott College. [6]
The Montreal Alouettes are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and are the current Grey Cup champions, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th Grey Cup Game in 2023. Their home field is Percival Molson Memorial Stadium for the regular season and as of 2014 also home of their playoff games.
Flag football is a variant of American football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. The sport has a strong amateur following with several national and international competitions each year sponsored by various associations but is most popularly played in America where it was invented. A flag variant of Canadian football also exists.
Football Canada is the governing body for amateur gridiron football in Canada headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Football Canada focuses primarily its own Canadian form of the sport, and is currently the world's only national governing body for Canadian football.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body of American Football associations. The IFAF oversees the organisation and promotion of all amateur international competitions across both contact and non contact versions of the game, including the IFAF World Championship of American Football, which is held every four years. The IFAF became a provisionary member of SportAccord in 2003, and became a full SportAccord member in 2005. The organisation's head office is located in the French commune of La Courneuve, in the Île-de-France region.
The United States national American football team often referred to as Team USA represents the United States in international men's Flag football and American football competitions. It is currently controlled by USA Football and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The team is currently ranked no.1 in the world in both flag and tackle Football by the IFAF.
The Montreal Blitz is a women's gridiron football team, founded in 2001, which plays Canadian football in the Central Canadian Women's Football League. Previously, the team played American football in the Independent Women's Football League (2001–2016) and in the Women's Football Alliance. They are based at Dalbé-Viau High School in the borough of Lachine, in Montreal, Quebec.
The Canada Men's National Football Team represent Canada in Senior Men's international gridiron football competitions. It is governed and managed by Football Canada and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football, however, IFAF-sponsored games are played using American football rules. They competed for their first and only IFAF World Championship in 2011.
Noémie Marin is a former two-sport athlete that played ice hockey and softball. She was a four-time Clarkson Cup winner and she retired as the CWHL's all-time leading goalscorer.
The Canada National Football Junior Team a.k.a. the Football Canada World Junior Team represent Canada in international gridiron football competitions. The football program is part of the football development program and is controlled by Football Canada and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). It is the premiere team in male development for the organization. While Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football, IFAF-sponsored games are played using American football rules. Team Canada first competed on the world stage in the NFL Global Junior Championship in 2000 with a championship victory over Team Europe. They competed for their first IFAF Junior World Cup in 2009.
The Saskatoon Valkyries are a women's football team in the Western Women's Canadian Football League's (WWCFL) Prairie Conference. The team is based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They are the most successful WWCFL team, winning eight of the leagues eleven championships since play began in 2011, including the first four. Their primary rivals are the Regina Riot, the only other WWCFL team to win the championship.
The Lethbridge Steel are a women's football team in the Western Women's Canadian Football League's (WWCFL) Western Conference. The team is based in Lethbridge, Alberta.
IFAF Flag Football World Championship is the international championship in flag football, organized by International Federation of American Football. The men's and women's competitions are usually held in the same venue. The tournament starts with pool play to fill in the seeding and follows an elimination-style of play after that. At the end of the tournament the top teams are rewarded with Bronze (3rd), Silver (2nd) or Gold (1st). The IFAF Flag Football World Championship is held every two years in different countries.
The Boston Renegades are a tackle football team in the Women's Football Alliance. The Renegades play their home games at Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere, Massachusetts.
Samantha "Sam" Rapoport is a former American football player who currently works for the National Football League (NFL) as senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion. She was formerly the NFL's senior director of football development. She was initially hired by the NFL to bring more women to the operational side of the league. She is also involved in several other initiatives to get more women into football, including being on the board of the first ever all-girls tackle football league, the Utah Girls Tackle Football League. Rapoport has been named to People Magazine's “25 Women Changing The World”, Fortune's 40-under-40 and Named one of Sports Illustrated’s Most Powerful, Most Influential and Most Outstanding Women in Sports.
Kelly Sudia is a former professional ice hockey player from Canada. She played in five consecutive Canadian Women's Hockey League championships and won three Clarkson Cup championships. After retiring as a player in 2012, she has been the operations manager and technical coach of the Montreal Canadiennes.
Bianca Della Porta is a Canadian ice hockey and rugby player who has played for professional teams in both sports.
Melanie Jue is a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and coach. She served as an assistant coach to the Chinese national ice hockey team during the 2021–22 season.
The Central Canadian Women's Football League (CCWFL) is a full-contact Canadian football league supported by Football Quebec and Football Ontario.
The Winnipeg Wolfpack are a women's football club in the Western Women's Canadian Football League's (WWCFL) Prairie Conference. The Wolfpack are based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.