How Did I Get Into Women's Football Part 2

Where did I leave off? Oh yes. I was at a Eugene Edge game and having a blast watching these women play. I thought you know what...I could do this. Something about playing a sport that I had watched since I was little but never thought I could play was very exciting to me. So I got the information I needed to keep in contact with them.

I spent that next year going to school and watching football like always but now with a different sort of anticipation. What would I play? Would these women like me? Would this be a hobby or a passion for me?

The time came for me to meet with the Eugene players the following fall in preparation for the next season. After a couple of meetings however, the Eugene owners, who were also players, let us know that they just didn't have the funds or the players to keep us going that year but that the Corvalis Pride was willing to let us come up and play for them.

Corvallis is about a 45 minute drive from Eugene. Corvallis is also the home of my school's state rival, the Oregon State Beavers. I initially was put off by that but still the opportunity to play was too much for me to pass up so I made the trek up I-5 to the first practice. The first practice was at Corvallis High School. Of course...I got lost and was 15 minutes late to the first practice. Mind you I hate being late. I ran onto the field and was very embarrased and joined the group of women warming up in lines.

This practice also happened to be directly after a snow storm we had had in the Willamette Valley so half the field was literally covered in snow. It was freakin cold! However, I had so much fun running around and catching passes that I knew I was suppose to be there.

After that first practice I decided to tell my family that I was going to be playing football. I suppose they really didn't know what to think. I think my dad was secretly intrigued because he played football in college at a small school in Indiana. My mother was confused and somehow thought it was part of my "rebellion" against her (as mothers seem to think every change their child endures is). Frankly, I think she was just scared her daughter would get hurt. She insisted I play wide receiver so that the big girls wouldn't tackle me. I promised just to get her off my case.

That first year I ended up playing running back and corner on defense. I found my sport that I was always meant to play. In every sport I played I was always the hussle player that would dive into bleachers after loose basketballs. Now here was a sport that actually rewards you for that kind of hussle.

I can't explain what it's like to tackle someone. I believe that I am pretty laid back and even keel. It takes a lot to upset me. I was always aggressive in sports but never angry. Then something happen to me after I learned how to tackle. It's this amazing transference of energy. From your soul, whatever emotion you were feeling, through your body, and literally through the other person. And yet what one would think would hurt really doesn't...ok most of the time.

I have to tell you it's addicting. That feeling is actually theraputic. You go into the off season and wish you had pads if you had a bad day. It gets into your blood stream. That adrenaline and almost primal state.

I would actually argue it's not masculine. It's human. It's not even necessarily violent, at least in my eyes that's not the purpose. The purpose is to find yourself completely ok with finding your deep strength that you didn't know you had.

Stay tuned for my next blog.