Latest news with #womensfootball
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Women's tackle football gives Metro Detroit athletes new opportunities
Football players were running, throwing, catching, blocking and tackling — with a steady stream of trash talk between whistles — as the sun set on a recent night in the Motor City. Other banged-up athletes stood or sat on benches behind each sideline, ailing from a torn calf and a torn knee ligament, unable to play in a game watched by about 100 fans cheering for the home team and 11 people backing the visiting squad from Canada. While the action and the setting was not unusual, the gender of the players did stand out. "We do it all just like the boys," Detroit Prowl punter Kelly Bernadyn said. "But we're women." Detroit Prowl's Toya Shinaul, from left to right, Kelly Bernadyn, Sydney Hebel, Jasmine Hamilton and Allie Gorcyca walk out for the coin toss at the start of an AWFL women's football game against the Lansing Legacy, in Allen Park, Mich., Saturday, May 10, 2025. Paul Sancya / AP Women have been playing tackle football for decades, mostly under the radar, but two league commissioners believe it will be part of the next wave as interest in women's sports grows. When Detroit beat the MIFA All-Stars of Ontario in an American Women's Football League game at Allen Park High School, daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers experienced the joy of big plays and camaraderie along with the pain of inevitable injuries. After a postgame handshake line along the 50-yard line, the black-clad Prowl and the visitors in pink gathered on the visitors' sideline to celebrate their sisterhood and shared goal of growing the sport. "You just begin to love these girls around you," said MIFA All-Stars quarterback Rachel Vesz, who is from Toronto and played rugby at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. "And, you all support each other." Walking wounded Despite the inherent risk of injuries in football, women are choosing to join pay-for-play leagues for the love of the game and to inspire young girls to play a game traditionally limited to men. "I use my own health insurance when I am injured, same with all of my other teammates," said Bernadyn, who works as an EMT and fitness instructor. "But at the end of the day, it's worth every dollar I've paid. "It's worth every ice pack I've needed to use, every day of rest, every cast, every boot, because I know that I'll be able to line up on that football field again." Playing for championships The Prowl lost their bid for a second straight AWFL title with a first-round loss in the 14-team playoffs that wrap up with the league's second championship game on July 12 at West Charlotte High School in North Carolina, streaming on BAWLLR TV. The AWFL has 18 teams from eight states and Canada. Two leagues, meanwhile, have raised their profile enough to have women competing for championships on ESPN2 in high-end venues. The Women's National Football Conference will have its title game on the network for the first time on Saturday. The Washington Prodigy will face the Texas Elite Spartans in Frisco, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys' Ford Center, which has about 12,000 seats. "When someone sees the WNFC for the first time, it opens up the possibilities," said Odessa Jenkins, founder of the WNFC. "It's like, 'What a minute. Women play tackle football?' There's no greater joy than to open up new possibilities for yourself and others." The WNFC does not pay salaries, but does plan to give a total of $20,000 to the players on the championship team and has a budget to pay weekly and season award winners, thanks in part to financial support from Adidas, Dove and Riddell. The Women's Football Alliance does not pay players either, but some of their costs are covered by sponsors such as Wilson, ticket sales and licensing rights. The WFA will be back on the network for its championship game on July 26 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where MVP jerseys from previous title games are on display. "This new contract with ESPN is a testament to the high level of football played on the field, contributing to the growing popularity of our league on a national and international level," WFA Commissioner Lisa King said. Two better than one? Former WFA players include Katie Sowers, who became the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl as an offensive assistant in San Francisco, and Jennifer King, who was the first Black female full-time coach in the NFL in 2021 when she was Washington's assistant running backs coach. Jennifer King, who is on the WNFC advisory board, hopes the sport's top two leagues find a way forward together. "When you have two champions, you want to know who's the best," she said. "It would be great to have one Super League, but it would be really hard to do because both of the leagues are far down the road." Sowers agrees. "A big issue is, everyone has an idea of who can do it best," she said. "We need to come together and create one powerhouse league that has more resources." Flag on the field The NFL is investing a lot in flag football, which will be an Olympic sport in 2028. The league did give women's tackle football a platform at halftime of the Pro Bowl in 2020, when 22 players from the Utah Girls Football League were featured in a scrimmage. Former NFL offensive tackle Roman Oben, the league's vice president of football development, applauded the commitment women are making to play tackle football. "It's been really commendable to see the growth of the sport," Oben said. "There isn't a formal partnership with the NFL, but there have been discussions with a few of the leagues. We're aware these women are paying to play for pads, insurance, equipment and travel and they should be applauded." Flag football, Jenkins said, will ultimately have the same effect on women's tackle football as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had on the WNBA, and the sport will benefit from the increased interest in girls and women playing basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and more. "Flag football is putting the ball in the hands of more girls and women than ever, and it's going to create the greatest pipeline in the history of the sport," Jenkins said. "Women have been playing tackle football for 60 years, but now we have brands everyone knows stepping up to alleviate some of the financial pressure on our players, and that's what it is going to take to move it past a club level."
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Women's Tackle Football Gives Female Athletes Opportunities in a Game Dominated by Men
Football players were running, throwing, catching, blocking, and tackling – with a steady stream of trash talk between whistles – as the sun set on a recent night in the Motor City. Other banged-up athletes stood or sat on benches behind each sideline, ailing from a torn calf and a torn knee ligament, unable to play in a game watched by about 100 fans cheering for the home team and 11 people backing the visiting squad from Canada. While the action and the setting were not unusual, the gender of the players did stand out. 'We do it all just like the boys,' Detroit Prowl punter Kelly Bernadyn said. 'But we're women.' Women have been playing tackle football for decades, mostly under the radar, but two league commissioners believe it will be part of the next wave as interest in women's sports grows. When Detroit beat the MIFA All-Stars of Ontario in an American Women's Football League game at Allen Park High School, daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers experienced the joy of big plays and camaraderie along with the pain of inevitable injuries. After a postgame handshake line along the 50-yard line, the black-clad Prowl and the visitors in pink gathered on the visitors' sideline to celebrate their sisterhood and shared goal of growing the sport. 'You just begin to love these girls around you,' said MIFA All-Stars quarterback Rachel Vesz, who is from Toronto and played rugby at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. 'And you all support each other.' Despite the inherent risk of injuries in football, women are choosing to join pay-for-play leagues for the love of the game and to inspire young girls to play a game traditionally limited to men. 'I use my own health insurance when I am injured, same with all of my other teammates,' said Bernadyn, who works as an EMT and fitness instructor. 'But at the end of the day, it's worth every dollar I've paid. It's worth every ice pack I've needed to use, every day of rest, every cast, every boot, because I know that I'll be able to line up on that football field again.' The Prowl lost their bid for a second straight AWFL title with a first-round loss in the 14-team playoffs that wrap up with the league's second championship game July 12 at West Charlotte High School in North Carolina, streaming on BAWLLR TV. The AWFL has 18 teams from eight states and Canada. Two leagues, meanwhile, have raised their profile enough to have women competing for championships on ESPN2 in high-end venues. The Women's National Football Conference will have its title game on the network for the first time on Saturday. The Washington Prodigy will face the Texas Elite Spartans in Frisco, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys' Ford Center, which has about 12,000 seats. 'When someone sees the WNFC for the first time, it opens up the possibilities,' said Odessa Jenkins, founder of the WNFC. 'It's like, 'What a minute. Women play tackle football?' There's no greater joy than to open up new possibilities for yourself and others.' The WNFC does not pay salaries but does plan to give a total of $20,000 to the players on the championship team and did budget to pay weekly and season award winners, thanks in part to financial support from Adidas, Dove, and Riddell. The Women's Football Alliance does not pay players either, but some of their costs are covered by sponsors such as Wilson, ticket sales, and licensing rights. The WFA will be back on the network for its championship game on July 26 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where MVP jerseys from previous title games are on display. 'This new contract with ESPN is a testament to the high level of football played on the field, contributing to the growing popularity of our league on a national and international level,' WFA Commissioner Lisa King said. Former WFA players include Katie Sowers, who became the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl as an offensive assistant in San Francisco, and Jennifer King, who was the first Black female full-time coach in the NFL in 2021 when she was Washington's assistant running backs coach. Jennifer King, who is on the WNFC advisory board, hopes the sport's top two leagues find a way forward together. 'When you have two champions, you want to know who's the best,' she said. 'It would be great to have one Super League, but it would be really hard to do because both of the leagues are far down the road.' Sowers agrees. 'A big issue is everyone has an idea of who can do it best,' she said. 'We need to come together and create one powerhouse league that has more resources.' The NFL is investing a lot in flag football, which will be an Olympic sport in 2028. The league did give women's tackle football a platform at halftime of the Pro Bowl in 2020 when 22 players from the Utah Girls Football League were featured in a scrimmage. Former NFL offensive tackle Roman Oben, the league's vice president of football development, applauded the commitment women are making to play tackle football. 'It's been really commendable to see the growth of the sport,' Oben said. 'There isn't a formal partnership with the NFL, but there have been discussions with a few of the leagues. We're aware these women are paying to play for pads, insurance, equipment, and travel, and they should be applauded.' Jenkins said flag football will ultimately have the same effect on women's tackle football as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had on the WNBA, and the sport will benefit from the increased interest in girls and women playing basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball, and more. 'Flag football is putting the ball in the hands of more girls and women than ever, and it's going to create the greatest pipeline in the history of the sport,' Jenkins said. 'Women have been playing tackle football for 60 years, but now we have brands everyone knows stepping up to alleviate some of the financial pressure on our players, and that's what it is going to take to move it past a club level.'
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
When is the Women's Euros 2025?
Euro 2025 is finally here, with 16 teams from across Europe ready to showdown!The 2023 Women's World Cup ended in heartbreak for England's Lionesses, losing out in the final to Spain - but will they fare better this time around? And which of the home nations has qualified for the first time? Find out all this and more with this article from Bitesize! Switzerland will be the host nation for Euro 2025, marking the first time they've played host to a major women's sporting event on this will be played right across the country, with the tournament kicking off in Thun and coming to a close at St-Jakob Park, in other host cities include St Gallen, Zurich, Lucerne, Bern, Sion and Geneva. Euro 2025 kicks off on Wednesday 2 July, as Iceland face off with Finland at the Stockhorn Arena in Thun. The game will kick off at 5pm UK time, with hosts Switzerland taking on Norway later that group stage of the tournament will continue on through to 13 July, with the quarter-finals beginning on July 16 - all leading up to the final on Sunday 27 July. 16 teams will compete for the crown of Euro 2025 champions this summer, including two of the home nations - one of them for the first time!The nations who qualified are: Iceland, Finland, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Wales, Netherlands, France and teams will be split evenly across four groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. Euro 2025 marks the Euros debut of the Wales women's national football team, with Rhian Wilkinson's side joining England in Group will kick off their tournament in Lucerne, taking on Netherlands on Saturday 5 July at 5pm UK time. England will begin their campaign later that day, facing off against France at 8pm UK teams will play their second match on Wednesday 9 July, with England playing Netherlands in Zurich, and Wales matching up against France in St their final group stage game, England and Wales will come face to face with one another, kicking off in St Gallen at 8pm UK time on Sunday 13 July. The first official UEFA Women's Euro took place between 1982 and 1984, with 16 teams across Europe coming together to compete for the trophy. England, Scotland, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland all took part - alongside nations like France, Italy and Portugal, amongst competition's first game took place on 18 August 1982, with Sweden comfortably beating out Finland in a 6-0 final took place in 1984, with England facing off against Sweden over a two-leg final. The Swedes beat England on home turf, before an England win at Kenilworth Road sent the final to a penalty unsurprisingly, England lost on penalties, with Sweden becoming the first ever Women's Euro champions! England go into the 2025 Euros as reigning champions, with the Lionesses roaring to victory over Germany in the final of Euro 2022. Chloe Kelly's goal in extra-time marked an end to over 50 years of hurt for England's men and women's national hold the record for the most number of Women's Euro titles, having won eight of the 13 that have taken place as of this year. Other winners include Sweden, Netherlands and Norway with the possibility of a further nation being added to those ranks this summer! The first Women's EurosEverything you need to know about Euro 2025Ella Powell: How my teachers helped kickstart an international football careerSix things you need to know about women's football
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Women's tackle football gives female athletes opportunities in a game dominated by men
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Football players were running, throwing, catching, blocking and tackling — with a steady stream of trash talk between whistles — as the sun set on a recent night in the Motor City. Other banged-up athletes stood or sat on benches behind each sideline, ailing from a torn calf and a torn knee ligament, unable to play in a game watched by about 100 fans cheering for the home team and 11 people backing the visiting squad from Canada. While the action and the setting was not unusual, the gender of the players did stand out. 'We do it all just like the boys,' Detroit Prowl punter Kelly Bernadyn said. 'But we're women.' Women have been playing tackle football for decades, mostly under the radar, but two league commissioners believe it will be part of the next wave as interest in women's sports grows. When Detroit beat the MIFA All-Stars of Ontario in an American Women's Football League game at Allen Park High School, daughters, sisters, mothers and grandmothers experienced the joy of big plays and camaraderie along with the pain of inevitable injuries. After a postgame handshake line along the 50-yard line, the black-clad Prowl and the visitors in pink gathered on the visitors' sideline to celebrate their sisterhood and shared goal of growing the sport. 'You just begin to love these girls around you,' said MIFA All-Stars quarterback Rachel Vesz, who is from Toronto and played rugby at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. 'And, you all support each other.' Walking wounded Despite the inherent risk of injuries in football, women are choosing to join pay-for-play leagues for the love of the game and to inspire young girls to play a game traditionally limited to men. 'I use my own health insurance when I am injured, same with all of my other teammates,' said Bernadyn, who works as an EMT and fitness instructor. 'But at the end of the day, it's worth every dollar I've paid. 'It's worth every ice pack I've needed to use, every day of rest, every cast, every boot, because I know that I'll be able to line up on that football field again.' Playing for championships The Prowl lost their bid for a second straight AWFL title with a first-round loss in the 14-team playoffs that wrap up with the league's second championship game July 12 at West Charlotte High School in North Carolina, streaming on BAWLLR TV. The AWFL has 18 teams from eight states and Canada. Two leagues, meanwhile, have raised their profile enough to have women competing for championships on ESPN2 in high-end venues. The Women's National Football Conference will have its title game on the network for the first time on Saturday. The Washington Prodigy will face the Texas Elite Spartans in Frisco, Texas, at the Dallas Cowboys' Ford Center, which has about 12,000 seats. 'When someone sees the WNFC for the first time, it opens up the possibilities,' said Odessa Jenkins, founder of the WNFC. 'It's like, 'What a minute. Women play tackle football?' There's no greater joy than to open up new possibilities for yourself and others.' The WNFC does not pay salaries, but does plan to give a total of $20,000 to the players on the championship team and did budget to pay weekly and season award winners thanks in part to financial support from Adidas, Dove and Riddell. The Women's Football Alliance does not pay players either, but some of their costs are covered by sponsors such as Wilson, ticket sales and licensing rights. The WFA will be back on the network for its championship game on July 26 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where MVP jerseys from previous title games are on display. 'This new contract with ESPN is a testament to the high level of football played on the field contributing to the growing popularity of our league on a national and international level,' WFA Commissioner Lisa King said. Two better than one? Former WFA players include Katie Sowers, who became the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl as an offensive assistant in San Francisco, and Jennifer King, who was the first Black female full-time coach in the NFL in 2021 when she was Washington's assistant running backs coach. Jennifer King, who is on the WNFC advisory board, hopes the sport's top two leagues find a way forward together. 'When you have two champions, you want to know who's the best,' she said. 'It would be great to have one Super League, but it would be really hard to do because both of the leagues are far down the road.' Sowers agrees. 'A big issues is, everyone has an idea of who can do it best,' she said. 'We need to come together and create one powerhouse league that has more resources.' Flag on the field The NFL is investing a lot in flag football, which will be an Olympic sport in 2028. The league did give women's tackle football a platform at halftime of the Pro Bowl in 2020, when 22 players from the Utah Girls Football League were featured in a scrimmage. Former NFL offensive tackle Roman Oben, the league's vice president of football development, applauded the commitment women are making to play tackle football. 'It's been really commendable to see the growth of the sport,' Oben said. 'There isn't a formal partnership with the NFL, but there have been discussions with a few of the leagues. We're aware these women are paying to play for pads, insurance, equipment and travel and they should be applauded.' Flag football, Jenkins said, will ultimately have the same effect on women's tackle football as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have had on the WNBA and the sport will benefit from the increased interest in girls and women playing basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and more. 'Flag football is putting the ball in the hands of more girls and women than ever and it's going to create the greatest pipeline in the history of the sport,' Jenkins said. 'Women have been playing tackle football for 60 years, but now we have brands everyone knows stepping up to alleviate some of the financial pressure on our players and that's what it is going to take to move it past a club level.' ___ Follow Larry Lage on X ___ AP sports:
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Women's tackle football has 2 leagues whose championship games are on ESPN2
Women have been playing tackle football for decades, usually under the radar. Two leagues, operating independently, are helping the sport get more attention. The Women's Football Alliance will be back on ESPN2 for its championship game on July 26 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, where MVP jerseys from previous title games are on display. The Women's National Football Conference will have its title game on ESPN2 for the first time, live on Saturday from the Dallas Cowboys' Ford Center in Frisco, Texas. The Washington Prodigy will face the Texas Elite Spartans in the title game. In its sixth season, the league has 17 teams from 14 states and Washington, D.C. The WFA was founded in 2009 and participation has increased by 300% since its debut season, according to Commissioner Lisa King. It has 12 teams from nine states and D.C. in its top level and a total of 55 squads in three divisions. The WFA also has international teams in Europe, Africa, South America and North America. Like the WFA, the WNFC does not pay salaries. The WNFC does plan to give a total of $20,000 to the players on the championship team and did budget to pay weekly and season award-winners thanks in part to support from sponsors such as Adidas, Dove and Riddell. WFA sponsors, which include Wilson, along with ticket sales and licensing rights cover some of the players' costs. ___ AP sports:
