Women in Football

+ Can a Woman Coach Football?

I was reading an article in the Stamford Advocate by Nina Burleigh about a woman who is coaching boys varsity football in Washington, D.C., and it got me thinking if it was a good idea. On the surface it seemed like a great concept, but I had trouble imagining high school aged boys, playing the most physically demanding high school sport, responding well to a female authority. The bottom line was how could they take what she was saying seriously?


Upon reading about the woman in question however, it became clear that she is extremely qualified to coach football. The first question I had regarding her experience was how could she teach football if she never actually played the game outside of a recreational setting. In fact, she played for a woman's independent league in which she played unpaid for a team in the Washington area for five years. That seems like some serious dedication to me. She did all of this while holding down other jobs because of her passion for the game.


I have never seen a woman's game before because no television station would dream of airing one, but from what I hear it is full-contact football. She had always played sports, (track, volleyball, basketball) in high-school, and she got a partial track scholarship to the University of Virginia. Players on the team have also responded well to her, and many commented on her rigorous drills and draining practices. The starting quarterback said, ?She's grooming us to be great young men in society.? This all sounds like a made for T.V. movie, and as promising as it all sounds, I'd like to see if she can get results on the field.





What I found most amazing about this story was the competition that she was up against in getting the job. Evidently two former NFL players and a retired Army brigadier general were three among the many applicants who school officials said she ?left in the dust? during the interview process. They said that she was the only candidate who talked about what she would do for the students, rather than hyping herself up. Maybe that's a man thing. Who would have thought it would be so hard to land a high school coaching job?


If you ask me, this is a step in the right direction. It is important to note however that the school, Coolidge High School, is located in Washington D.C. This is not some hick school deep in the heart of Texas or Mississippi. I think if something like this were to happen in a southern school, there would be much more opposition to say the least. Ole Billy Bob would have been none too pleased.