Buffalo, NY - As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare for another Super Bowl appearance, Canisius University alumna Sheila Sickau ‘11 will be working on and off the field to help shape the future of football.
By day, Sickau works as the Chiefs youth marketing manager, developing strategies that engage and inspire the next generation of football fans and athletes. By night, she leads the charge to make football more accessible and inclusive for women.
Sickau is a wide receiver and kicker for the Kansas City Glory, a women’s tackle football team. She’s also president of the organization and charged with advocating for expanded opportunities in women’s football.
“Girls need to know that they are capable of anything, and they have the same opportunities,” Sickau says. “The beauty of football is there’s a position for everyone. Every body type is needed,” she added.
Sickau’s drive to create pathways for women in football began long before her professional career ever started. Growing up in Eden, NY, she was the only girl on her high school football team – not by choice, but because it was the only way she could play the game she loved.
What seemed like a limitation became her motivation.
After graduating from Canisius with a degree in education, Sickau went to work as a special education teacher in Knoxville, TN. It was here that she learned about the Knoxville Lightning women’s football team. She tried out and the experience quickly furthered her passion for the sport. Shortly after, Sickau returned to school, earning a master’s degree in sport administration and later landing an internship with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, as a leader both on the field and in the front office, Sickau is determined to break down barriers to sports for all youth – but particularly future generations of women.
“Football isn’t just a game; it’s a platform for empowerment,” she says. “Everyone has a spot. Everyone has a role. You are just as meaningful as the person next to you.”
Sickau holds a bachelor’s degree in childhood and special education from Canisius University and a master’s degree in sport administration from Arkansas State University.
