| Inaugural Season for Women's
Contact Football Team Kicks Off in St. Louis
by Betty Magrath, SLFP.com
photos by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), April
13, 2003 - Football fans, family and friends jammed into
the bleacher seats at the Gateway Technical High School,
Saturday night, April 12, at 7:05 p.m., for the first game
of the Inaugural Season for St. Louis SLAM.
St. Louis' first woman's full contact
football team took on the Kansas City Krunch, veterans of
the National Womans Football Association, now in its third
year. The league plays the same rules as the NFL, with a
slightly smaller ball.
Jaime Kelley, marketing and public
relations for SLAM, talked about the team from the sidelines
during the second quarter.
"The team is expecting to win
tonight, but they understand that the KC Krunch was in the
league last year, even though this is the first year for
the Midwest Division. So they have one year up on us,"
said Kelley.
"We weren't sure how many people
would show up for the first game. But it's just great to
see all this support," stated Kelley. "We are
trying to reach out to the community at large and get as
many people from St. Louis involved as we can."
When asked if they had experienced
any criticism in starting a woman's contact football team,
she responded enthusiastically that they really hadn't run
up against too much controversy.
Kelley added that in the near future,
they hope to offer clinics for girls to learn the game.
"We don't know when yet, but there are plans to have
some type of a clinic where we can invite younger kids to
learn the game from these women. We want to teach them and
let them see that women can do anything they want to do,"
she shouted over loud cheers from the bleachers.
St. Louis Slam offensive team rushes
to stop the KC Krunch.
The action on the field was energetic with both teams playing
rough and tough. The crunch from helmets knocking and clouds
of dust reinforced the live action of contact football.
The only thing lacking was the calling of plays by an announcer.
Unless you knew what the referees were signaling, it was
hard to determine why fouls were being called. As one enthusiastic
fan in the bleachers noted, "I don't know what's happening
on the field. I gave up my bridge game to see this."
Another fan responded good naturedly, "Yeah, I gave
up my poker game."
During halftime, SLAM cheerleaders
joined in with the young kids for special activities including
a hula hoop contest.
"We are living up to the image
of St. Louis as the Best Sports City," stated Kelley.
"We are looking forward to winning tonight and to extending
the season into the postseason and eventually to the Superbowl."
After taking a sound defensive lead
early in the game, the Slam lost to the Krunch in double
overtime, 12 - 6, shortly after 10 p.m. Slam will play seven
more games with three more at home: Oklahoma City Lighting
(May 10), Nashville Dream (May 24) and the Evansville Express
(June 14). For more information about the league, see www.womensfootballcentral.com
Note: The article incorrectly states
that this is the KC Krunch second year in the NWFA, it is
our first year just like St. Louis.
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