My IWFL Days

New Season, New Team, New League, New Blog

2009-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I've created a new blog for next season because I'm playing for a new team in a different league next year. Check it out and follow me here: My WFA Days

Changing directions

2009-09-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to catch up on and will do it very soon. There are changes in the air that I'm very excited about.

New Portland team

2009-09-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

I received word last night that the WFA (Women's Football Alliance) has a 2010 expansion team starting up here in Portland. The Portland Fighting Fillies.

While I think it's great that more women's teams are being created in both leagues, I'm a bit concerned because recruitment is always difficult where women's sports are concerned. This will, no doubt, create competition in our own home town. What I hope comes of it is more visibility.

We, not only as a league or a team but as a professional sport for women, need to be seen more. We need to be more visible in the public eye. We need to be taken seriously. This isn't powder puff and it isn't women playing in their underwear. It's real, hard hitting, fast moving, all out football.

My hope is that the competition will light a fire under us as a team. As my teammate put it in an email last night, "Now, more than ever, we need to get out there and demand that Portland pay attention to the Portland Shockwave. We need to recruit players, advertise our team and ensure that the Shockwave kicks absolute ass, all the time, every time."

Let's do it!

Potential 2010 Expansion Teams In The IWFL

2009-09-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

As posted on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Women%27s_Football_League)

Tier I
Denver, Colorado
El Paso, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Spokane, Washington
Tampa, Florida

Tier II
Amarillo, Texas
Beaumont, Texas
Bend, Oregon
Boise, Idaho
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Columbia, South Carolina
Corpus Christi, Texas
Escondido, California
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fresno, California
Gainesville, Florida
Jackson, Mississippi
Kennewick, Washington
Lancaster, California
Medford, Oregon
Midland, Texas
Missoula, Montana
Norfolk, Virginia
Quebec City, Quebec
Reno, Nevada
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Luis Obispo, California
Savannah, Georgia
Toronto, Ontario

I'm excited about all of the potential new teams but the teams in bold I am most excited about. 2010 could pan out to be a really great year for the Shockwave and the Pacific Northwest division of the IWFL.

A couple of IWFL teams holding tryouts soon

2009-09-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Tryouts for the 2010 Miami Fury will be September 13 from 3 - 6 pm at Miramar Athletic Park. Registration fee $75 (Early Registration $50). For additional details contact Gayla at 786-229-7487. http://www.miamifuryfootball.com/

The New York Sharks will be holding tryouts on Saturday, September 12th. It will be held at Kane Stadium in Secaucus, NJ at 9am. http://www.nysharksfootball.com/

FORE!!!

2009-09-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

The Portland Shockwave are hosting a Night Time Golf Tournament on Saturday, September 12th.

The Tournament will be held at the Sah-Hah-Lee Golf Course in Clackamas, OR

Tournament Details are as follows:
$30 per person fee includes, 9-holes of Golf and Dinner

Family Friendly!!

Activities start at 7:00pm

Sah-Hah-Lee Golf Course
17104 SE 130th Ave
Clackamas, OR

Special glow-in-the-dark golf balls will be provided.

Pull-carts will be available at $2 per person and Golf clubs are available to rent as well.

Gather your own four-some or sign-up as an individual. Either way it's going to be a fun filled night!

There will be a cash bar both before and after golf, as well as a beverage cart during the round.

There will be raffles tickets for sale as well prizes for Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive to name a few.

Reservations and payment needs to be secured by Wednesday,
September 9th. Please contact us
by emailing us at info@portlandshockave.com or
by calling 503-693-4844.

BUSINESS SPONSORS!!

Sponsor a Hole: $150*
(includes: 2 people in the tournament,
signage at the hole, link on website)

Exclusive Beverage Cart Sponsor: $250*
(includes: 2 people in the tournament,
signage on the cart, 1/4 page ad in 2010
season program, link on website)

Exclusive Dinner Sponsor: $500*
(includes: 2 people in the tournament,
signage in the banquet room, 1/2 page ad
in 2010 season program, link on website)

*minus $50 for no tournament play

Sah-Hah-Lee Golf Course
17104 SE 130th Ave
Clackamas, OR

Sponsorship needs to be secured by Wednesday,
September 9th. Please contact us
by emailing us at info@portlandshockave.com or
by calling 503-693-4844.

Saturday's Seahawk game

2009-08-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Some things have come up that I need to be responsible about so I, unfortunately, won't be able to make it up to the scrimmage my team is playing against the Majestics on Qwest Field this Saturday. I'll miss it but I learned today that the scrimmage will be broadcast on the internet through womensfootballtalk.com so I'll get to hear how it goes as it's happening! Plus, I've been asked to gather information on our players who will be going so the announcers have more then just their name and number to talk about! I'm happy to be a part of it in some way and hope to be around the next time this opportunity comes about.

I will, however, be going to the practice we're holding this Thursday and am totally excited about that!!!

Keepin' up

2009-08-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month since I started my off season workouts in the gym and just a few weeks for the off season workouts with the team. I've been pretty good about keeping up with them and am happy about that. I'm not bulking up as much as I would have hoped to but maybe that's just going to take a bit more time. On workout days I make sure and get a lot of protein. On off days I still get protein but not quite as much. I'll have to figure out just the right intake for me and what my body can handle without turning it into something I really don't want.

The weekly team workouts aren't as well attended as I was hoping. I understand that people have lives outside of football, but it being only once a week I was hoping to see more of our team there. Not only to get a workout in but to build that sense of team that I really think we need. Maybe things will pick up in the next month or two. Tryouts and practices will be here before we know it.

Only 12 days left until we play on Qwest Field in Seattle!

2009 IWFL Champions

2009-07-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Kansas City Tribe for taking the 2009 IWFL Championship title! It was truly a championship game between the Tribe and the D.C. Divas. A well fought battle between the two teams.

I have to say, I didn't expect the Tribe to beat the Divas and I know a lot of other people didn't either. It just goes to show you what hard work, drive and heart will do for a team.

2009-07-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

Great news! My football team will scrimmage against the Majestics on Quest Field on Aug 22nd before the Seahawks game!! So excited about this!

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

2009-07-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

I worked my back and my triceps this morning at the gym and spent 15 minutes on the elliptical machine doing an interval workout.

While I was working my back I could feel my muscles pop and crack. Then when I got to my triceps I felt the same stuff happening in my right shoulder and elbow. I remember feeling this stuff before in other workouts but I'm hoping it's just about my muscles stretching and growing and that I'm not actually doing some sort of damage.

I'd like to think that I know my bodies own limitations but there are times when I question that knowing. The fact of the matter is, I'm not 20 anymore. I will be 40 in December and I haven't been an athlete all my life. Well, most of it but it was off and on throughout my life. I have stayed physical enough to not make it too difficult to get back into shape.

I think I'm going to incorporate more stretching into my program to see if I can get that cracking and popping to tone down or go away. I'd like to feel fluid movements when working out. Plus, stretching may help me to recover a bit quicker.

Gym time

2009-07-17T18:00:00.001-07:00

I did pretty good last week with getting myself to the gym and getting in some good workouts. This week, I haven't done so well. I finally picked up my dumbbells here at home last night and worked on my shoulders a bit. Today, I'm battling a headache but I got myself to the gym anyway. Got in some good chest and bicep reps.

I've thrown my workout schedule off a bit but it'll adjust back to where it was after next week. I just need to stay motivated and keep getting enough protein.

Off to drink a protein shake!

2009 IWFL Championship games set

2009-07-11T23:47:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Kansas City Tribe & DC Divas in Tier I and Wisconsin Warriors & the Montreal Blitz in Tier II! IWFL Championship weekend on the 25th in Austin, TX! I wish I could be there to watch these great games!

IWFL Conference Championships this weekend!

2009-07-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited for the Conference Championships tomorrow! For anyone interested, they will be broadcasted over the internet and the links can be found here: http://wfbtalk.wordpress.com/

They're going to be awesome games!

Chicago vs. Seattle game

2009-07-01T09:27:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that I took the time to go to this game. The level of play was awesome. Hard hitting and a fight all the way. Not being any sort of sports commentator, I will post the game highlights from the Chicago Force web site.

Force Advance to Conference Championship

Kent, Washington. The Chicago Force traveled over 3000 miles to take on the #1 seeded Seattle Majestics in the first round of the IWFL playoffs. The Force overcame numerous obstacles to stun the previously undefeated Majestics 28-14. Many of the Chicago players spent the night in various airports as their Friday night flights were either cancelled or delayed. In addition, Chicago traveled with a reduced roster due to extremely high airfare. The team hung the jerseys of absent players on their sideline as a tribute to their teammates. In spite of the adversity, the players rose above their fatigue and hit the field with tremendous ferocity and focus.

Chicago kicked off and immediately smothered the Majestic returner. Seattle picked up a first down on their initial series when a Force defender was flagged for encroachment. After forcing a turnover on downs, the Chicago offense took the field. QB Sami Grisafe completed a 20 yard pass to WR Martha Dantuma on the first play. Chicago continued to move the ball with short passes and runs. The offense stalled as it neared the red zone when a Force receiver fumbled. Although it was recovered by Chicago it was a 10 yard loss and they were forced to punt.

The teams exchanged possessions until midway through the 2nd quarter when CB Shannon Ten Broeck recovered a fumble by the Seattle RB at their 32 yard line. Grisafe quickly completed a 19 yard pass to WR Trish Harper for a first down, but an incomplete pass, a run for no gain, and a missed handoff resulting in a loss brought up fourth and goal from the 17 yard line. Grisafe dropped back and calmly threw a perfect spiral to Dantuma as she crossed the goal line. Carolyn Lee kicked the extra point to put Chicago up 7-0 with 3 minutes left in the first half. There was no further scoring before the break.

The Chicago offense then exploded in the 3rd quarter, scoring twice within minutes. The first score came on a 29 yard TD when Grisafe hit Harper on the sideline. Dawn Pederson made the kick out block that allowed Harper to get to the end zone. Lee’s PAT was on target to push the score to Chicago 14 Seattle 0. A Chicago onside kick worked to perfection as it was recovered by Amber Burns on Seattle’s 48 yard line. Grisafe immediately went to the air, hitting Dantuma for 33 yards down the middle. Another pass to Harper picked up 5 yards. From the 10 yard line, QB Albi Zhubi rolled to the right and then snapped off a quick pass to Dantuma as she stepped across the goal line. Kicker Carolyn Lee, who was perfect on the day, split the uprights to extend Chicago’s lead to 21-0.

The euphoria was short-lived when the Majestic RB exploded through the middle on a trap play for a 52 yard TD. Seattle then converted for two points on a fade pass to the corner, closing the gap to 21-8. After the ensuing kickoff, Chicago started from their 32 yard line. On the first play Grisafe again hit Dantuma for a first down, but a Seattle defender stripped her of the ball, allowing the Majestics taking over on Chicago’s 35 yard line. It was a huge momentum shift and Seattle made the most of it by picking up 2 quick first downs. Chicago’s Ten Broeck was then flagged for her 2nd facemask, giving Seattle first and goal from the 2 yard line. Seattle punched it into the end zone on their first attempt, but failed on the 2 point conversion, pulling to 21-14 at the end of the 3rd quarter.

Albi Zhubi returned the kickoff to the 39 yard line. Grisafe connected with Dantuma for 9 yards and followed it with a QB keeper to get the first down at midfield. Another sideline pass to Harper resulted in a 28 yard gain. Grisafe kept it again for another first down to the 11 yard line. Yet another QB keeper took it to the 3 yard line. An incomplete pass and a 1 yard run brought up 4th and goal from the 2 yard line. QB Zhubi, under pressure, threw an interception in the end zone that was returned to the 15 yard line.

The Force defense – led by Kim Marks, Jamie Menzyk, Taz Brooks, Minja Hernandez and Amber Burns - turned back the Seattle offense in a critical series. Seattle was forced to punt and Chicago took over on their own 30 yard line. The Force went to their most effective play of the night and hit Harper on the sideline with a quick pass. Pederson again blew up the cornerback and Harper raced 70 yards for the game-clinching TD. The PAT by Lee was good - Chicago 28, Seattle 14 - with six minutes remaining.

Seattle returned the kick to their 45 yard line and after several short passes, were nearing the red zone. On first down Force DT Menzyk stormed the Seattle QB, burying her for a 13 yard loss on a monster sack. The Majestics threw on the next 3 downs – all incomplete – as Chicago DB’s Ten Broeck and Mary Valene laid some punishing hits on the receivers. Chicago took over on downs and ran out the clock. The Force players, coaches and fans erupted in celebration as the game ended.

”I asked the players to do their assignments and trust that their teammates would do theirs”, said Head Coach John Konecki. “ It was a well fought game by both sides and we were fortunate to come away victorious. We are happy we won this contest but we know we will have our hands full with a very tough Kansas City team in the conference championship.”

The hard-earned victory puts Chicago in the Western Conference Championship in Kansas City on July 11th at 6pm against the KC Tribe.

Playoffs

2009-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Another teammate and I are heading up to Kent, WA tonight to watch the Chicago Force take on the Seattle Majestics in Round 1 of the playoffs. I'm anxious to see the difference in level of play, if there is any.

More pictues from this season

2009-06-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

From the May 9th game in Seattle.

May 19th home game against Corvallis - This is my buddy Jaden and I having a talk on the bench.

June 6th game in Seattle. The game we wanted really, really bad and the game with the rude and obnoxious fans.

Brisson getting our only touchdown of the game.

Our awesome quarterback, Megan, doing her thing.

Pat being teamed up on.

Elissa getting angry!

Thanking the Portland fans at the end of the game.

Pep talk from coach at the end of the game.

New book

2009-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who tends to read more then one book at a time. At the moment, I've got four books going. Yes, four. There are different parts of the day where I feel like reading about different things. My mornings are usually filled with some sort of spiritual reading (at the moment it's Dr. Michael Beckwith's Spiritual Liberation), during my lunch hour downstairs in the pub I've been reading another type of inspirational book (Jon Gordon's Training Camp: What The Best Do Better Than Everyone Else) and in the evening I like to read something less 'heady' (which, right now is Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love). Then there are those times during the weekends when I like to read about successful people (which is where Tony Dungy's book Quiet Strength comes in).

Every now and then I'll come across something in a book that not only jumps out at me but grabs ahold of me and shakes me. I usually end up reading and re-reading it over and over until I feel like I've absorbed it. Then I'll write it down somewhere and read it some more.

Well, today at lunch, while reading Training Camp I found this little gem that did just that:

"...we don't live our life based on reality but rather based on our perception of reality. This perception is influenced by the story we tell ourselves and the role we play in the story." Further down the page is this: "If your life was a movie, what kind of movie would it be? How would you describe it? Drama? Comedy? Love Story? Or inspirational tale? In this movie, what role are you playing? Victim? Bystander? Fighter? Underdog? Hero?" Page 105-106.

Now, granted, this isn't a new concept to me but you know how sometimes you just need a reminder? It was certainly time for my reminder and it was like being hit with a 2x4.

2009 Portland Pride Parade

2009-06-15T16:52:00.000-07:00

This doesn't have anything to do with football but since I wore my "Property of Portland Shockwave" shirt and my Shockwave hat (which is covered up by my glasses because I forgot I put them up there - did I mention I was getting old?) I thought I'd post a picture from my experience riding with Dykes on Bikes this past Sunday in the 2009 Portland Pride Parade. My best friend, Deirdre, rode with me. It was her first time and something that she always wanted to do ever since she came out. We had a lot of fun riding with all those bikes around us. The noise level was very cool.

Great way to end the season

2009-06-14T16:05:00.000-07:00

We ended the season yesterday with a 26-6 win over Corvallis. It was a muggy day but the sun stayed out and we did really well. One of my teammates had to be taken to the hospital with heat stroke but she was discharged a few hours later and was doing much better.

I got some playing time in the last series of the 4th quarter. Didn't do so well, but with the score already at 26-6 and a few minutes left of the game, there was no harm done. Just bruised my pride a bit.

We've got a couple of BBQs coming up and some time to relax then the line will start getting together for weekly workouts during the off season. We're thinking of making a fundraiser out of the workouts. We'll talk about it more at the BBQ on Friday. I'm looking forward to workouts during the off season. I want to bulk up for next year and work on my cardio.

A bit of wisdom from Dr. Wilbur Dungy

2009-06-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Things will go wrong at times. You can't always control circumstances. However, you can always control your attitude, approach, and resonse. Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better."

Dr. Wilbur Dungy is Tony Dungy's late father. For those who don't know, Tony Dungy was the first African American coach to lead an NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts, to victory in Super Bowl XLI (2007). I'm currently reading his book Quiet Strength. The above quote can be found on page 16.

Great underdog movie

2009-06-12T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched Out of The Blue: A Film About Life & Football At Boise State. Plot Summary: Out of the Blue is a documentary look at a group of high school athletes the blue chip programs didn't want who came to Boise State University, found a first year head coach with a blue-collar ethic and a no-nonsense attitude, and went on to compile a perfect 12-0 record. Their season culminated in a BCS busting 43-42 victory over perennial powerhouse Oklahoma in what many have called the greatest college football game ever played.

I ordered it from Netflix mainly because I wanted to see the blue field that some of my teammates played on back when Boise had an IWFL team. I recommend this movie to any sports fan out there. It's an inspiring film and highly motivating. A great reminder to stay focused and give it your all. No matter what you're doing in that moment.

Last week of practice

2009-06-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday and Wednesday were our last two practices for the 2009 season and I have to say, I'm a bit sad. It's not like I don't have other things to do, but it will feel weird to not see my team every week.

Tuesday was a good practice for me. I mostly stayed on defense but towards the end got in some good offensive plays. Just enough to remind myself to go over the play book a few more times before the game on Saturday. I haven't had quite enough repititions during practice to solidify the plays in my head. It's mostly about making a hole or pass blocking for the QB but there are a few plays where I need to remember who to focus on, the end or the linebacker (on my side or the other).

Both this past Tuesday and Wednesday of last week brought me some praise from a couple of the coaches, which felt really good. It being my first year, I've had to learn quite a bit about this sport and switching from wide reciever/corner back to tackle/defensive end didn't make it any easier but I gave it my all. I'm coming along as far as the line goes. It was good to be seen during practice.

Yesterday's practice was the last one. My back has been bothering me so I decided to give it a rest so that I can play in our final game on Saturday. It always feels odd to me to watch a practice from the sidelines but sometimes that's just what you have to do to take care of yourself. Even though I can't say I practiced at every practice since I started the year, I can say that I showed up to every practice since starting with the team in February. If I remember correctly, there were three or four that I had to sit out. Two of those I started but had to sit during the last half due to my knee or the fact that I had donated blood a few hours before practice (not the smartest thing to do).

This Saturday is our final game. We travel down to Corvallis to take on the Pride. After that there are a couple of team BBQs, some time to rest then, hopefully, the line will start getting together for practices once a week. I'll also start hitting the gym 5 days a week in an attempt to bulk up for next year.

First, we have a game to win.

Disappointing loss

2009-06-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last night's game against Seattle was a disappointing loss. Shockwave 7 - Majestics 20. I could give a quick run down of the game but, at this point, does it really matter? Sure, it'll matter to the coaches and how we do things differently next time but bottom line is, we lost. We weren't expecting to lose this one. We also weren't expecting to encounter rude and obnoxious fans.

About the game: You know that confident feeling you get, the one where you just know that this is the game? This is the game that we will finally take. We all had it in our heads that no matter how dirty they played or how many bad calls were made, this was going to be the game that we've been waiting for since 2006. Personally, I just wanted to knock the swagger out of them. While they are very good athletes, their sportsmanship leaves much to be desired. If you can't win a game solely on your athletic skills, then in my opinion you shouldn't be on the field. Yes, I understand it happens in every major sport, but that doesn't make it right. You show respect for your team, your opponents and the game by playing a clean game.

About the fans: This was my second trip up to Seattle and while the first one was mildly uneventful (aside from the incredibly annoying announcer) this one was not the case. Unfortunately we had a Seattle fan yell across the field to us as we gathered in our team huddle on the opposite goal after the game, "Goodbye Portland! Go home Portland! See the scoreboard?!" Then, to top it all off, while our coach was talking to us he ran over with his toddler while saying to him, "Say it. Portland's garbage. Come on say it. Portland's garbage." This was coming from an adult man. A parent, no less. I'm guessing he was the husband of one of the team members because he had on a jersey with her number. Not the brightest bulb in the bunch. Honestly, I felt like I was back in high school. The amazing thing is, we just kept going with our meeting like he didn't exist. My team is above that.

We are a team. We are a team when we are winning the game and we are a team when we are losing a game. Always a team. Aside from a few exceptions we cheer for each other, encourage each other and help each other, no matter what is happening on the score board. That is what a team is about. That is the kind of team I want to be a part of.

Our fans always have respect for the visiting team, as well. That's what Portland is about and I am damn proud to be a part of this organization.

An inspiration

2009-06-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Photo by Scott Larson

This is Stephanie Lutz. She is one of my teammates, an amazing athlete and she graduates from David Douglas High School tonight. Not only is she graduating but she is the valedictorian of her class, a 4.0 student and has earned a full ride to Tufts University in Boston. While all of that is inspiring in itself, what she overcame to accomplish this is even more inspiring. The following is the article that was published in the Oregonian newspaper today.

Stephanie Lutz: From chaos, with honors
by Lindsay Schnell, special to The Oregonian
Tuesday June 02, 2009, 9:21 PM

Stephanie Lutz doesn't have time to answer questions.

The David Douglas High School senior, a four-year varsity athlete in basketball and tennis and a three-year varsity volleyball player, has a lot to do tonight before her graduation ceremony. She needs to put the finishing touches on her speech, figure out what to wear and make sure she has everything for her senior all-night party.

She doesn't want to answer questions because she's busy, but also because of this: What if people don't accept her after they get the answers?

She doesn't want pity. She's scared of being teased.

This week, thousands of students in the Portland area will cross a stage and receive a diploma, each with a story of success. But perhaps none is more heartbreaking than Lutz's.

"A lot of people thought she went home to a mom and dad and a perfect little house," says her school counselor, Denise Riesenman. "They thought she grew up on the west side (of Portland) and went to summer camp and played tennis in the evenings.

"But it was total chaos all the time."

• • •
Students participating in David Douglas' graduation ceremony tonight were allotted six tickets each. Lutz gave hers to her grandma, two aunts, her older sister and her mom.

She should have given one to her dad, Terry Lutz, but he is serving a 40-year prison sentence in Ontario and has not seen his daughter in 12 years. She should have given one to her brother, T.J., but he has been dead for 10 years, having killed himself when Stephanie was 8.

It's surprising that Valerie Lutz, Stephanie's mom, is even able to attend. In Stephanie's freshman year, her mom was taken away in handcuffs, arrested for selling and using drugs.

"I was walking home from my bus stop when I saw blue and red flashing lights from my house," Stephanie wrote this school year in a scholarship essay. "Knowing that it was a police car, I raced to see what was going on. As I reached my driveway I saw an officer direct my ragged mother into his car. I began to sob and yell in hysteria. A woman that I had never seen before then approached me. She informed me that she was from DHS and that I would need to pack my belongings and go with her. My worse fear had finally become a reality. ... I was put into foster care."

Lutz had done everything she could to get her mom to stop using. She flushed pills and threw away needles. One time, she found her mom passed out in the bathroom, a needle in her arm. When Lutz began to fear the drug dealers parading to her house, she got involved in virtually every extracurricular activity she could.

She played volleyball, basketball and tennis for four years, competing in the state tennis tournament each season. She's the student body president. She carries a perfect 4.0 GPA -- she will graduate as one of the school's valedictorians tonight, first in a class of 592 students -- and is active in National Honor Society.

"Sports were kind of a way out," Lutz says. "When you're there, you don't think about everything that's going on (at home)."

And it is because of all her involvement and stellar grades that no one ever knew Lutz didn't have a home.

• • •
After her mom was arrested, Lutz moved in with her aunt, Vickie Wallace, Valerie Lutz's sister.

Through the two years Lutz lived with Wallace, only two people outside of her family knew about her situation: Riesenman, her counselor, and her best friend, Johanna Wilson.

Wilson and Lutz had met in third grade during elementary school basketball. They wore matching outfits and bonded over a shared love of animals. They captured stray cats around their homes, feeding them and nursing them back to health.

"... My true calling is animals. ... The humane society is like an oasis to me. Being in an animal's presence calms me and makes me feel like nothing else matters at the moment. All my problems disappear the very second I set foot inside a cage."
When Wallace decided to move to Seattle and Lutz found herself without a home again, Wilson suggested Lutz move in with her.

Wilson's mom, Tina Gefre, had always thought Lutz belonged with her and Johanna anyway. Lutz moved in -- once she got the OK for her cocker spaniel, Spunky, to join the family, too -- and slowly, people started to figure out what her home life was like.

• • •
In October, Lutz won a $10,000 scholarship from Stand for Children, a national organization dedicated to ensuring excellent public education for everyone. As part of the scholarship, Lutz would be filmed in a short video where she explained how she "beat the odds."

For a moment, she considered not doing the video.

"I didn't want pity," Lutz says.

But she agreed, and when the video went up on YouTube, teachers and classmates were shocked to find out the star of their school was, by the legal definition, homeless.

"How could somebody be so well-adjusted with everything that's happened?" says her science teacher, Dave Gilbert.

"Since I never got bad grades, I was never questioned about stuff at home," Lutz says.

But once they found out her secret, teachers rushed to help her.

Over the summer, Lutz decided she wanted to attend Tufts University, a small liberal arts school in Boston with a top-notch veterinary school.

"I've always been an animal person," says Lutz, who wants to be a vet. "You can talk to them and tell them anything. You can yell at them but they'll always come back."

She says they provide unconditional love, something Lutz has not always found.

Riesenman thought Lutz should check out the campus before she committed to moving 3,100 miles away. She figured the David Douglas staff would be eager to help Lutz now that her story was public, and put out a letter asking for donations to buy Lutz a plane ticket. Riesenman estimated Lutz would need about $400. In less than two days, she collected more than $1,000.

Even after being accepted to Tufts and being awarded a financial aid package that will cover her entire cost of school -- totaling more than $53,000 -- Lutz had to get clearance from the Oregon Department of Human Services to leave the state for college.

Finally, the girl who was homeless would have her pick of places to go.

• • •
Lutz says she's now willing to talk about her home life, instead of dodging questions like she did for years.

"My life hasn't been ruined," she says. "I don't view it like that."

She talks to her dad on the phone periodically, and is slowly trying to rebuild a relationship with her mom, who's out of jail and lives in Portland.

And although Lutz is quick to duck praise for overcoming everything she has, her school is infinitely proud.

"I've been a counselor for 27 years," Riesenman says. "I've had kids who have conquered some horrific things, but to excel like she does, with little to no help ...

"I'm in awe of her."

Lindsay Schnell: lindsay.schnell@gmail.com

I am in awe of her, as well. While she will truely be missed next season I know that she is off to bigger and better things. Maybe the Boston Militia will be lucky enough to have her to play for them.

Practice number 35

2009-06-02T23:28:00.001-07:00

Well, of course, I felt better after getting into practice and was able to find my motivation to stay focused. We did some really good conditioning drills, too. I always feel like I'm going to pass out at the end of them and seem to have to push myself to finish but it's all for the best. We really need to kick Seattle's ass on Saturday.

Here are some pictures from our last bout with Seattle here at home....

The team walking out onto the field before the game

Jaden (left) and I (right) going through some drills before the game

Jess (left) and I (right) doing some more drills before the game

The line getting some tips and motivation from coach Ian before the game

I was the only one at this game without my name on the back of my jersey. I had held onto the jersey that week for a photo shoot (which had to be rescheduled due to issues with the location) and apparently that was the week that the names were sewn onto everyone's jersey. I was the mystery player.

Photos by Scott Larson

2009-06-02T17:43:00.001-07:00

I'm having a hard time drumming up motivation to practice tonight. It's going to be a long practice.

Practice number 34

2009-05-27T12:52:00.001-07:00

I've been slacking on keeping up with blogging about the practices so I'll blog about yesterday's practice and start again.

Coach called a practice for this Tuesday and gave us Wednesday and Saturday off this week. It being a holiday week most of the team was out camping or traveling yesterday so we had to improvise as far as practice goes. The good thing is, we decided to divide up the 16 people who were there into two teams and played a modified game on the width of the field. This means that for about an hour and a half we went from play to play. Every one played. Which means, I played the entire practice. This is both good and bad. Well, mostly good because I needed the practice and the workout.

The bad came last night when I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get into a position that didn't hurt. Today I feel like I did 300 push-ups. I need to keep working at this. I know I'm going to be sore no matter what but I keep hoping the soreness won't be so intense the more I work at it.

We're off until next Tuesday. Between now and then I'll hit the gym every night alternating between upper body and lower body. We've only got two more games and four practices left this season.

Pictures from the game

2009-05-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to hold off on blogging about the games until the team photographer sends us the pictures but since it seems to take about a week before we see them I will post them when they become available.

Game 6 against Seattle

2009-05-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Bottom line on this game is we lost. The difference between this game and the other games we've played against this team is this time we made them play. We did not hand them this win. They had to work for it. The final score in this game speaks volumes to the intensity of each team's performance.

Portland Shockwave 12, Seattle Majestics 14.

At the end of this game I barely had a voice left. Yes, I spent the majority of the time on the sidelines but I let myself be heard by my teammates out there on the field. I cheered them on, pumped them up and encouraged them to give it all they had until the very end of the game. It was intense and I have no doubt that we will bring them every bit of that and more when we meet them one last time in Seattle on the 6th.

More action shots

2009-05-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

These shots are from pre-game warm ups before our last game against Corvallis. I'm the one on the right (#13).

Frustrated

2009-05-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

My body is rebelling against me. Ok. Maybe it's not rebelling but it's not happy with me.

Last Saturday's game was awesome. We came out strong and took control of the game right off the bat. You could feel the confidence radiating from everyone on the team. Aside from the heat, it was a great game and in the end we won 33-0 against Corvallis.

My frustration came from my own mistake of failing to properly hydrate earlier in the day thus causing an incredible heat headache that made me want to lose the banana and energy bar I ate before the game. I did my part on special teams (kick-off and extra point) and got in some really good hits on the kick-offs. No one is going to knock me on my ass again during a kick-off. I can thank Seattle for teaching me that lesson. More then that, though, I just couldn't do it.

My point is, coach wanted to put me in during the third quarter and I just couldn't do it. At that point it was turning into a migraine and I felt like a weasel having to tell the coach I couldn't play because I had a headache. Nice, Wendi. Nice.

Cut to today's practice. I get through the first drill (up-hill starts) with pain pulsing down the inside of my left knee. It's been bugging me and today while I was sitting at my desk at work I felt short bursts of pain travel down it. I could feel my co-workers looking at me strangely when I all of the sudden started saying 'Ow. Ow. Ow.' Good times. Anyway, I get through the first drill and on to the second where we're actually blocking a person and pushing them about 5 yards. I was almost in tears by the time coach blew the whistle to stop. Practice was over for me.

I know that age isn't a factor in fitness and that there are women on the team who are older then me. One of the linemen is in her 50's. Our quarterback is in her early 40's and I think one of our running backs is close to my age. So, I know it can be done. But, the difference between what my brain knows and what my body is doing is vast. Which leaves me incredibly frustrated.

I got some ideas from our trainer of supplements to take for my joints.

It really is happening. I'm getting older.

Game 4 against Seattle

2009-05-13T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to blog about this game. Mostly due to the fact that I was waiting to find a picture to add because I finally got some playing time in this game. (I'm on the left in the photo. #13 white jersey.)

The other reason it's taken me so long to blog about this game is the reason why I got some playing time in this game. We lost this game big time. Seattle basically handed us our butts in this game. We were down 35-0 with 3 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game before I finally got some playing time. Yes, I was frustrated over that but not as much as I have been about it in past games. This game I showed up ready to play and stayed ready to play the entire game. If coach decided to finally give me a shot I would be ready.

The more Seattle scored and the more the refs and umps missed calls on Seattle the more pissed off I got. By the time coach finally put me in, I was ready to kill someone. Using all of that anger and frustration on the offensive line proved to be my biggest strength.

I was put in at right tackle and would not allow Seattle's defensive end to get past me. I stayed on her like she was the only player on the field and used every technique I'd been taught in practice. Off the ball quickly towards the defender to push them back, solid base, feet moving constantly, and hands moving constantly. She got so frustrated with me that when she finally got a hold of my jersey she threw me to the side. By the time that happened though the play was well underway.

Fortunately, during those last few plays coach also switched others out and guess what? We punched in our only touchdown of the game.

When I showed up to practice yesterday coach gave me praise. I think his exact words were "For a third stringer you were really good on Saturday." I'm glad he noticed.

We'll see what happens this Saturday.

Practice number 29

2009-05-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm hurting tonight. This evenings practice wasn't as good as Tuesday nights, but I feel like I got beat up a bit. Maybe it's the tension that's already started in response to who our opponents are on Saturday. Nervousness, too, perhaps. There are a lot of injuries and illnesses on the team so I'm not sure Coach will be able to run all of his starters the way he did in our last game against Seattle. I've replaced someone on the PAT team so now I'm on two special teams, which I'm excited about. I know we can take this victory home Saturday night. I know we can beat this team.

The next few days I will spend some time in the gym and in the pool. I'll also spend a lot of time doing some visioning work to mentally prepare myself for this game. I may get a little more playing time then expected.

Practice number 28

2009-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today started off with a complete lack of motivation. All I wanted to do was go back to bed and sleep for the rest of the day. The more it rained the worse it got. For most of the afternoon I debated about missing practice and just going home to bed. I kept thinking about how scarcely attended our last few practices were and how I don't get much game time anyway plus we're playing Seattle on Saturday so it's most likely that I won't see much game time again. In other words, what's the point?

I pushed myself through all of that and went despite of how I felt or what I was thinking. What's that saying? Seventy percent of life is about showing up? Something like that. Well, I was glad I did show up to this practice. I haven't missed one since I started and I don't want to start that pattern. How am I going to get better if I don't go to practice? Tonight's practice was awesome. I got in some great hits, good blocking and managed to get through to the QB to put some major pressure on her. I was rockin' it and loving every minute of it.

It finally feels like things are beginning to click for me and I can't even begin to explain how that feels.

Practice number 27

2009-05-02T22:10:00.001-07:00

There should have been a game tonight but the Oakland team folded so they had to forfeit. It's sad, really, that we've lost so many teams on the west coast. In the Pacific Northwest Conference alone we've gone from six teams in the Tier I level to two. This year it's just us and Seattle. In the entire Western Conference we've gone from fourteen teams in 2008 to eight teams this year. The Eastern Conference is doing just fine. They're only down two teams this year. With the economy the way it is and the lack of knowledge or enthusiasm amongst the general public, it doesn't look all that bright for the Western Conference next year. Time will tell. I just hope this isn't my first and last year of playing this game that I love so much.

Since we already had the field reserved tonight we practiced on the turf. After waiting out a down pour we practiced in Jamboree style with refs and umps. We went for about an hour and I got in a few plays on the offense at tackle. I have to say, I enjoy defensive end much more then I do offensive tackle. Maybe it's about not having so much to think about and being new to the game, but I really enjoy playing defense much more then offense.

My team

2009-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

This was taken just before the Corvallis game on April 25th. We won that day. Victory is an awesome experience!

Practice number 26

2009-04-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Another practice with half of the team out. It was a skeleton crew, which, I will admit has me a bit worried. We have another week before our next game against Seattle so there is time for people to heal and recover but what starts to worry me is the momentum. It starts to slip when people start missing practices. I hope I'm wrong this time and we can pick things up on Saturday.

To be honest, I've been trying to find that sense of unity and teamwork within this team. It's there but I haven't felt the intensity of it pick up to where I'm so pumped before a game and feel like I am a part of one unit that I know can take down the opponent. I think there are a lot of factors involved though. The state of the world and people's personal lives are difficult to let go even when you're on the gridiron.

Personally, that hasn't been the case for me. When I'm on the field I am fully present. It's the only time in my life right now when I am fully present. The only thing that exists during those moments are the field, my teammates, and me. It's all about the game. Getting in as many reps as possible and feeling my muscles start to ache, my knees start to hurt, bruises begin to sting because I've been hit so many times in the same spot yet coming up to that line of scrimmage and feeling completely solid again. Ready for the next hit. Ready to push the offensive lineman back into the flow of the play, read the quarter back, feel the flow and do what I need to do. It sounds corny but it is it's own form of poetry.

I love this game.

Practice number 25

2009-04-28T22:09:00.001-07:00

We were missing quite a few linemen tonight so the exciting part about that for me is I got in on every practice play tonight! I really needed that, too. The more reps I get in the better I become. I practiced tackle on offense and defensive end on defense. It was awesome to get in that many plays and that many hits. I was even noticed a few times by the coaches so I'm getting better.

After practice we did some conditioning. I'm pushing myself to do every sprint he gives us. Even if I can't breathe, I'm pushing myself to go past it. The only way I'm going to get my cardio up is by doing it, so I'm doing it. Tonight, I did it!

I'm pretty happy about tonight's practice.

We found out tonight that Saturday's game was forfeited by the Oakland team because the team folded. It no longer exists. So, bummer we won't be playing but coach is calling a practice that night so we'll get some extra practice for the Seattle game. Four more practices before our next game.

Workouts

2009-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

I've been getting to the gym a lot more lately. I'm certainly grateful for the local community centers where you can work-out inexpensively. Last night I was there for an hour and a half. Twenty minutes of that was spent on the treadmill. The rest of the time was spent mostly on the machines working my legs, lower back and chest.

I took my iPod along for the first time last night and noticed that the intesity of the workout increased. I'd like to find more songs that give me motivation to keep pushing myself further then I think I can go. During last night's work-out I kept hearing my old drill instructor's voice in my head telling me to "Push past it, Marine!" Just reminding myself that I graduated from bootcamp #1 out of 100, that I can be that physical and that in shape (even though I was 19 at the time) is helping me conjure up that motivation I need to do this.

It felt good to work up a sweat and see progress. My recovery time is getting better, as well, which gives me hope. I'm not constantly hobbling around anymore.

First win!

2009-04-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

We got our first win of the season today against Corvallis! The final score was 20-7!

I had a hard time getting out of my head today so it was an off day for me. I was still on the kick-off team and I put my all into those four times on the field. Still have yet to make my first IWFL game tackle but I know that as soon as I get my first I'll be hungry for more.

There were a lot of great plays made and some of the rookies on the team stepped up and played some awesome football! I'm extremely proud of this team and have no doubt that we can continue with the victories!

Practice 23 and 24

2009-04-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

It looks like from here on out I'm pretty much watching or playing against those who are preparing for the upcoming game. As in, playing like our opponent. Still very important stuff and I wouldn't miss a practice unless I was on my death bed (or a friend was) but these practices aren't as physical for me. This means I must get to the gym more. I also started doing some conditioning in between plays during practice. Just to keep things going. The team photographer caught a picture of me after last Saturday's game where I could clearly see my gut. Definitely not happy about that.

Tonight, the gym!

Saturday, we beat the pants off Corvallis!!!

First game!!

2009-04-20T12:42:00.000-07:00

Last week practices were all about getting the special teams together and getting the starters ready for the game. Our first game was this past Saturday, April 18th, against the Seattle Majestics.

I was on the kick-off team for this game and that was just the perfect amount of time on the field for me. We kicked off twice. I've been battling a cold all week and was still pretty worn down from it. The first kick-off found me laid out by one of the Seattle players. I'm not sure why I even chose to get close enough to her to give her a chance to block me. I think I blanked it and let the excitement of the game take over my brain. I was able to recover fairly quickly though and got up to try and help with the tackle. The second kick-off went much better for me. There wasn't a tackle though. The ball went out of bounds.

We gave them a damn good fight with this game. They didn't score until the second quarter and we went into the half with a 0-7 score. After making some adjustments we came back in the third quarter and scored our own touchdown to bring the score to 7-7. I believe the third quarter went scoreless but don't quote me on that. I was focused on the plays and what the coach was doing so I didn't keep that close of an eye on exactly when we scored and when the big plays happened. I'm sure we'll watch the film several times over.

Anyway, Seattle scored two more times before the end of the game and there was a really bad call made by the refs which cost us a touchdown. They called a fumble a down when it was so clearly a fumble. Final score was 7-20 Seattle.

The best part of the game for me was having my very own cheering section complete with signs and my number on their shirts. It was the first time in the history of my sports playing days where I had my own cheering section and it was amazing. I was incredibly touched and will forever remember this game.

Practice number 22

2009-04-15T13:46:00.001-07:00

I'll fill you in soon. It's a busy week!

Practice number 21

2009-04-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight's practice was a bit better energy wise. The practice last night seemed like it was filled with a lot of tension, specially amongst the coaching staff.

I practiced with the offensive line tonight and we did some drills that I felt pretty good about. The gauntlet was one of them. The gauntlet is this steel frame filled with lots of hard plastic 'fingers'. We had to hit one of those large square blocking pads and push it through the gauntlet to the other side. It was not easy and you really had to keep your feet moving in order to push it all the way through. Which is what the drill is for, really. Keeping your feet moving while blocking a defender.

After some team offensive practice we ran the hill. Sprints, back peddles, frog jumps and bear crawls. There was also one that involved rolling back down the hill but I opted to do crunches on the side while they were doing that. The whole rolling think makes me unbelievably dizzy and I tend to stay that way for a while after something like that. Not a fun experience, to say the least.

Practice number 20

2009-04-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

I was able to get in on some plays this evening as a defensive end. After getting instructions from 3 different coaches and about 5 other players I was finally able to focus a bit and made a good play or two. I kept my side contained and ran the QB to the sideline. I just need to work on actually getting the tackle now.

I like playing the line. I felt pretty tough after practice tonight.

Not too surprised

2009-04-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

I learned today that my family does not approve of me playing football.

I'm almost 40 and my family still feels the need to approve or disapprove of what I do?

I understand the concerns, but I'm a big girl. I can decide what's good for me and not so good for me.

Practice number 19

2009-04-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Offensive practice today. It was mostly a team practice with a short individual practice to begin with so I practiced with the line. We did some blocking drills that I think I got the hang of as long as I kept moving my feet. Still not feeling quite big enough to take on this task but I'm thinking I'll join the community center gym and start doing some intense strength training this week. I'm getting a lot of support from the other women on the line, too, so that helps a lot.

During the team practice I played CB again and stayed in for the whole thing, which was nice. It's good for me to get in that practice time even if I don't stay in that position.

We're off for 5 days so I better get motivated to do my own workouts or Tuesday will be hell.

Practice number 18

2009-03-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

Defensive practice today. I did my best playing CB but I'm just not fast enough. I was inches from the ball carrier and tried to dive after her for the tackle but came down on my shoulder wrong. The rest of practice was crap because I couldn't move my left arm very much. I don't think the fingers on my left hand will ever be their normal size again.

After practice one of women who plays on the line talked me into asking the coach if I could tryout there. He was cool with it so we'll see what happens.

Practice number 17

2009-03-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

Today was our last Saturday practice. From here on out we practice only on Tuesday and Wednesday then have games Saturday nights. We worked on our kicking game this morning. All of them, so essentially it was a special teams practice. During most of the practice I did a lot of standing around in the rain and the cold but got a bit of time in when we starting practicing kick offs. One of the coaches called me over when we first began and that gave me a bit of a boost of confidence. For the kick off the main goal is to get down field as quickly as possible and get a tackle. I can totally do that.

Tonight is our toga party fundraiser. Should be fun!

Practice number 16

2009-03-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

The good thing is I'm not huffin and puffin quite as much as I was in the first few practices. The bad part, I'm still pretty slow and have a lot of work to do. I love learning this sport though.

Tonight we did what's called a Bramha Run where we sprinted from one dummy pad to another and tackled each pad. By the time we were done my butt muscles hurt so bad I could barely stand.

Good times.

Seven more practices until our first game.

Practice Number 15

2009-03-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

At the end of tonight's practice we did that football conditioning drill where you run in place until the coach blows the whistle and when he blows the whistle you have to get flat on the ground and back up again as fast as you can. Holy crap, I felt like I was moving in quick sand! I have a lot of work to do if I ever want to climb that starting list.

During our individual position drills I started to get some really bad negative talk going in my head. I don't know when this competitive person came alive in me again. The negative head talk has been with me for the past 39 years, but the competitive side I haven't seen since high school softball and swim competitions.

The good part about that side of me is that it knows that negative head talk will get me absolutely no where I want to be so not only do I need to push my body harder, but I also need to turn my thinking around. I talked a team mate around to focusing on what she's supposed to be doing rather then on NOT catching the ball. She was getting frustrated with missing passes but I told her that frustration will just get you further away from making that pass. Get your focus back and just catch it. As soon as I said that I turned my own head around, too.

Starting line ups

2009-03-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

The starting line ups have been posted. I'm last string in my positions on both offense and defense. I'm a little confused because I thought I was doing better then the person above me, but I guess I've got a lot of work to do. I'm a bit disappointed in myself, to say the least. I need to use that disappointment as motivation and get my name higher on those lists.

This is a learning season for me. There's quite a difference between watching football and playing football, as I've already learned. One thing I am good at is being a team player. I'm all about supporting the team in any way I can in order for the team to win and have a great season. If that means I'm on the sidelines cheering most of the season, then that's where I'll be.

GO SHOCKWAVE!

Scrimmage

2009-03-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty good about my performance during the scrimmage game. I wasn't the first to play and am ok with that. I did get some good playing time and was able to get in some good blocking while playing defense. I got away from a block in order to help with a tackle, too, so I'm happy with that.

I don't anticipate getting a whole lot of game time at the moment but I'm going to keep working hard at it. I love this game.

I'm on the roster!

2009-03-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

Check it out! http://www.portlandshockwave.com/ssp/roster

Shockwave commercial

2009-03-19T16:37:00.001-07:00

Practice 12, 13 & 14

2009-03-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of the 3-day mini camp.

Three days of back-to-back practices filled with a little bit of everything and a lot of team practice. Two days of defense and one day of offense. Tired and worn out is a bit of an understatement at this point.

Monday and Tuesday practices were pretty good for me. I felt like I was finally getting things down and I was catching passes pretty consistently. Tonight’s practice is another story.

I’m not sure exactly what it was, but I wasn’t anywhere near my game tonight. I felt incredibly slow so I wasn’t catching up to the passes in order to make the catch. My leg muscles just didn’t want to work for me and my left hip started aching towards the end of practice.

Plus, I missed the chance to make a good, solid tackle. Then I started beating myself up. When that starts to happen everything goes to shit for me so I tried to bring myself out of it and think about what coach Leon tells us about missing a play. If you miss a play, let it go. The next play is a new one.

Today is done. Tomorrow is a new day.

Practice number 11

2009-03-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

I’m feeling today’s practice all over my body. My leg muscles, my lower back and my arms are feeling it. We did a lot of tackle drills today. Full force. Full padding. It was great. Painful, but great.

I can’t really tell if I had a good solid tackle at any point or not, but I was able to bring each one of them down. I need to focus more on what I’m doing and see myself actually do it before sprinting out there to tackle someone. I’m not afraid of the pain, which is a good thing, but what I am afraid of is not bringing someone down. So I need to focus more on aiming for their core, getting low so I can hit my target and exploding my hips forward so I can knock them off their center of gravity and make them fall. Basically. I can do that.

During our conditioning today I didn’t stop running. I wanted to very badly and was having a hard time catching my breath but my goal was not to stop. My lung capacity and my speed are two things that I really need to work on. During conditioning at the last practice I had to stop because I got dizzy so I bought a box of energy bars and a bunch of Gatorade in order to fend off that dizziness. Also, I’m focusing on getting more carbs with my meals and hydrating during the day. I think it’s helping.

Speaking of speed, at one point when we were practicing our defensive plays and I was playing on offense the coach came over to the huddle with the quarterback and started to call a play. After he looked at me and the other receiver in the huddle he says to the quarterback, “No. We can’t run that one. We need speed.” I immediately got mad. My competitive edge from way back when kicked in and I got so mad.

On the way home I had to talk myself down, remind myself that I really wasn’t ever very speedy and that we do have women on the team who are incredibly fast, and it’s ok that I’m not that quick. I do the best I can, push myself 110% and I’m a team player. I can be ok with being taken out because they need someone quicker or doing whatever it took to help the team win.

Age is creeping up on me. My body doesn’t perform the way it used to and no matter how hard I work it, it’s just not going to do it for me again. And that’s OK. I’m just glad I get this chance to be a part of something amazing. Something that I thought I’d never see happen in my lifetime. Women playing full contact football. Not only that, but the entire team is women. And not only that, but, there are teams all over the world in this league.

That, plus being a part of an incredible team of athletes, is in itself something to be grateful for.

Practice number 10

2009-03-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I’ve been doing some leg strengthening exercises this week and after tonight’s practice, my legs feel like jello. I think part of what I’m feeling is from lack of sleep though. Last night was filled with nothing but restless sleep. Tonight, I’m hoping to lose consciousness for the entire night. At the moment, I feel like that can happen but we’ll see what my brain does after my head hits the pillow.

I think that more then half the team was absent from practice tonight due to illness or personal obligations so we mainly worked on our individual positions, which was good for me because I feel like I need to work on catching, catching and more catching. For most of the practice, despite the lack of sleep I was dealing with, I was pretty focused on catching the passes that were thrown to me whether they were right to me or I had to reach for them. I caught most of the passes. There were still a few that got away from me which tells me my focus needs to get even better. I feel like the catching and the footwork is finally coming together, as well, and with tonight’s focus on running routes and catching, it just helped all that much more.

Thursday and Friday I’ll do more conditioning and strengthening. Saturday is field practice. Weather report is calling for rain. Let’s hope it holds out until the afternoon.

Oh! One more thing. I was assigned my number tonight. Lucky number 13. It’s one of the only numbers they had left to choose from. Since I wore number 13 in softball all through high school, I had to take it. It’s always been number 13 or number 6. This year it’s 13 for football and 17 for softball.

Practice number 9

2009-03-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Today’s practice was good. Not as good as I wanted it to be but given the fact that I donated blood this morning at 8am then went to practice at 10am I guess I couldn’t have honestly expected much more. We did some blocking drills both as receivers and as defensive backs, did some passing while moving our feet in order to try and take our focus off of our feet and put it on our hands catching the ball, and ended with a lot of team plays. During some of the conditioning after the team plays I started getting a little light headed so I sat out the remaining 20 minutes of practice.

During the team practice portion I took a couple of hits but didn’t get a tackle in. What I learned from those hits, though, is that I need to work on my strength. I think that if I focus on my legs and my core more I’ll start to feel more solid. Well, I really need to focus on my arms and shoulders, too. A well rounding strength training routine will be a good place to start. A friend of mine has a work out area set up in her basement and we’ve scheduled some time to start working out. I only hope that with my schedule we can stay consistent.

First Practice

2009-02-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

This was my first practice with the Shockwave. I was nervous, to say the least, but I think I did pretty well. The coach had suggested I try practicing with the receivers so I gave it a shot. Believe it or not, I was actually able to catch a pass! Everyone was very nice and helpful. I’ve got a lot to learn but I’m glad I’m getting out there and giving it a go.

Welcome!

2009-02-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

For most of my life I’ve played some type of sport. I started swimming for the local swim team while I was in middle school. I also started playing softball then. What I really wanted to do was play baseball but my Dad kept telling me that baseball was for boys. I had a really good pitching arm though and the boys in the neighborhood really wanted me to pitch for their team.

Through high school I continued swimming and playing softball. I tried my hand at basketball but couldn’t get past the incredible leg cramps that haunted me in that game so I only played for a year.

At age 34 I started a women’s softball team in the local GLBT league and played, coached and managed that team for three years. Last year I handed the team over to a few of my players and worked all year at two jobs. This year, at age 39, I’ve not only picked up softball again but I’ve also started playing full contact football.

That’s right. Women can play full contact football, too, thanks to the Independent Women’s Football League here in the US. (www.iwflsports.com) I have always wanted to play, mostly because you get to wear all of that equipment and tackle people really hard! So, this year is my rookie year playing for Portland’s premier IWFL team, the Portland Shockwave. (www.portlandshockwave.com)

This is my story……