Eleven members of the New York Sharks comprised Team U.S.A. About 60
women play for the Sharks, and that team is one of about 40 in the
Independent Women’s Football League.
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By Merle Exit
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The main attraction in Canton, Ohio, is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. When I visited several years ago, I searched for an exhibit on women’s tackle football. There wasn’t one. The reason, I was told, was that no women’s football teams are “Pro,” like the NFL.
I asked the curator whether they’d display a football signed by an Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) team if I obtained one? Yes. And in October of 2005, a New Y ork Sharks football became the first item from a women’s tackle football team to ever be displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Although I was proud of my accomplishment, I wondered why it took so long for women’s football to have this temporary acknowledgement?
You can imagine my excitement this summer when the Sharks, which clinched the IWFL championship in 2002, was chosen from more than 100 women’s tackle football teams and numerous flag teams to represent the United States at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Senior Flag World Championship in St. Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada.
Lead by manager Andra Douglas, Team USA’s players were selected from the Sharks’ 60-woman roster, which has a nine-season record of 80–16 (.833) with seven division titles and a league championship.
Lynn Lewis played for and coached the New York Sharks as well. In 1994 Lewis, who is now cancer stricken and in remission, had been a flag team member in the 1994 Gay Games in New York City. She was one of two coaches at this international tournament in which they took five of the six preliminary games.
One of the players, 44-year-old Dana Sparling, had retired from the tackle football team, but was in perfect running shape to vie with team USA. “I’m inspired to continue pushing my body’s physical limits and never to believe that there is something I can’t do simply because of my age," she said.
What does she think about Andra Douglas? “Andra not only provides a large part of the financial means for the women of the Sharks to play tackle football, but offers passionate inspiration as well for women to pursue their dream of playing a sport that is largely offered only to men.”
In addition, Sparling said, “Andra has been involved in the sport of women’s football since the beginning and has unparalleled REAL experience in knowing what works and what doesn’t in order to be successful in this sport.”
What are the New York Sharks and women’s tackle football all about? Owner Douglas grew up in Florida and was only privy to rugby and afterschool football in the grassy fields. Having moved to New York for her graduate work, she joined a flag football team in Brooklyn. She purchased her own team in August of 2000. When the IWFL was formed in 2002, Andra became a part of that league—she even took on the position of quarterback. She retired in 2005 at the age of 46, also having made to substitute for the kicker position as well.
Believe it or not, there are three women’s tackle football leagues in the country. The IWFL has about 40 teams, including one from Montreal. The New York Sharks is an example of one team composed of women who hold down full-time jobs, oftentimes raise children and must shell out as much as $1,000 for the season in order to fulfill their passion. And unlike their male counterparts, they didn’t get to learn the sport in high school and college.
“One team, one goal!” That’s what I hear the players yell. In the 2007 season, they break their 48 game seasonal winning streak. Yet, most of the public doesn’t seem to notice.
I want to change that. While traveling in Wichita I came across the Museum of World Treasures housing an area of sports memorabilia. I sold the director of sale Lon Smith on permanently exhibiting a display of the New York Sharks—they are, after all, the only women’s tackle football team to ever have an item displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With total enthusiasm on both sides, we put together an exhibit that included: a different signed football; framed collection of “legend” photos; Andra Douglas’s jersey; and a photo of Douglas at a Women’s Sports Foundation awards dinner.
Another first for the Sharks came about in January 2005 when the team was met by 60,000 screaming fans as they played an eight minute scrimmage during half time at Giants Stadium in Rutherford, N.J. Although it didn’t create a heavy dent in regards to future game attendance, it did lead to the NFL approaching the Sharks about starting a Junior Development Player program for girls.
This 2007 program had the Sharks scouring high schools in the tri-state area recruiting girls ages 14–17 for a camp that was held in March and coached by some of the Sharks players. About 150 girls participated, and the program is scheduled again for next year.
For more information on tryouts and the Sharks’ schedule, visit nysharksfootball.com.
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