Leading the Way

In competition, the University of Calgary Dinos women’s teams are known for being among the best in Canada. Since 1964, the Dinos women have earned 68 Canada West conference championships and 22 U SPORTS national championships and counting. In addition to representing the Dinos, 29 have gone on to the Olympic Games, bringing home eight medals on the biggest stage of international sport.

Supporting female student-athletes increases the visibility of women’s athletics at UCalgary and ensures their continued success now and in the future. It is our goal to be the premiere women’s varsity sport program in Canada, to continue to cultivate a culture of excellence for female student-athletes in their athletic and academic endeavours and to develop leaders in the communities and workplace upon graduating from the University of Calgary.

Levelling the Playing Field

The University of Calgary and Dinos Athletics are committed to bridging the divide in award funding between men's and women's sports. We are proactively making strides toward levelling the playing field. A new U SPORTS policy advocating for equity is coming into effect and will also enforce the need for change – a policy UCalgary enthusiastically supports. This means that beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year, institutions must distribute a minimum of 45% of their total athletic awards to student-athletes on men’s teams and a minimum of 45% of their total AFA units to student-athletes on women’s teams. During the 2022-2023 academic year, UCalgary offered 60% of their eligible athletic awards to male student-athletes, with female student-athletes receiving 40%.

The current inequity in athletic awards is largely due to the fact that alumni for Dinos men's teams have traditionally had a head start in this area and have been highly successful in fundraising for their teams. Other additional factors, such as the large roster size in football, have also skewed the current ratio. While UCalgary and the Dinos have been proactive in raising funds for female student-athletes in recent years, the new U SPORTS policy presents a quantifiable target to strive for equity.

The need for support extends beyond the new U SPORTS policy and financial aspects. Addressing the emotional welfare and leadership development of our female student-athletes and coaches is crucial. Psychosocial support, competitive experience enhancement, and leadership skills building are paramount to their overall success.

The University of Calgary is deeply rooted in the community and the values it embodies. This commitment to empowering women in sports is a testament to these values. The benefits of this initiative will not only be felt within the University but will also resonate throughout the Calgary community and beyond. Our Dinos female student-athletes are future leaders who have the potential to inspire change and innovation. By supporting them, we are investing in the future of sport and the future of our community.

Supporting Women's Sport

Dinos Athletics has prioritized fundraising for female student-athlete awards. This allows our coaches to continue to recruit the best and brightest student-athletes and enable them to excel in sport and the classroom without financial constraints. But we're not stopping there. We also invest in leadership development and enriching experiences that foster personal and professional growth. This is an opportunity for donors to make a significant impact, to fuel a culture of excellence and growth, and to help us set a new standard in supporting women in sport and beyond.

Student Awards

For our female student-athletes, the financial strain of pursuing academic and athletic excellence can be considerable, making focusing on financial support an essential priority for Dinos Athletics and the Faculty of Kinesiology. A focus on raising money for female student-athlete awards is crucial to becoming a leader in supporting our women in sport and staying aligned with the Faculty of Kinesiology’s Together, Stronger strategic plan.

To comply with the new U SPORT policy, we anticipate the need to raise approximately an additional $150,000 annually for 20 full scholarships for female student-athlete awards. To reach our aspirational goal of having a 50% split in award funding for female and male Dinos student athlete awards, approximately an additional $300,000 annually for female student-athletes will need to be raised.

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Leadership Development

This focus is not just on sports performance but on cultivating transferable skills to serve our athletes in various future endeavours. We plan to support leadership development in our female student-athletes as we understand the impactful and positive effects that result from fostering strong leaders. Not only will this support performance in competition, but it will develop leaders in the workforce and community upon graduation from the University of Calgary. Hence, we are committed to creating opportunities for our coaches, staff, and student-athletes to develop and hone their leadership skills, reflecting the University’s commitment to excellence.

Building opportunities such as:

Full-time assistant coaches: This would provide consistent and high-quality training for our female athletes. This also supports the ability to attract and hire highly successful coaches.
Our goal: a minimum of one female full-time staff member within each women’s program. These coaching positions can be supported annually through a multi-year pledge or through funding an endowment, allowing the position to exist in perpetuity.
Opportunities for coaches to develop: Offering conference and certification opportunities would ensure our coaches remain at the forefront of sports coaching.
Connecting research to sport: Building a mutually beneficial relationship with research and varsity athletics would ensure our training methods are supported by the latest scientific findings. In 2022, a gift from the late Joan Snyder set the stage for a significant investment in research in the Faculty of Kinesiology for women and girls. The commitment to advance research involving women and girls in sport will be sustained with additional opportunities centred around Dinos female student-athletes.
Formalized mentorship program: Ability to provide invaluable guidance and support for our female student-athletes, fostering a culture of continued growth and learning.

To donate, contact Braydon Epp, Director of Development
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Enhanced Experience

Providing an enriched experience is crucial because it addresses the multifaceted nature of an athlete's life. We are dedicated to fostering an environment that cultivates academic and athletic excellence and focuses on personal and professional development. This commitment is reflected in our strategic approach to providing comprehensive support services to our women in sport.

We plan to support in the following ways:

Sport psychology and mental health services: Opportunities to prioritize the athletes' mental health with strategies to handle stress and improve performance.
Nutrition education: Allowing our female student-athletes to be equipped with the knowledge of how to fuel their bodies properly in a safe and healthy environment.
National and international exhibition opportunities: Expanding the opportunity to experience the value of competing nationally/internationally enriching athletic careers.