Jackson Free Press

As a child, my dream was to play running back for the greatest professional football team, at that time the Chicago Bears. I thought I would never see the day when young girls or women would be wearing jerseys, shoulder pads, helmets, cleats and rushing down the field for six points, all the while avoiding No. 46 who just sent her teammate to the sidelines with a thunderous hit. Could I ever realize my dream? Probably not, but I'm getting closer.

Entertainment entrepreneur Catherine Masters formed the National Women's Football League (the NWFL) in August 2000. She started out with two teams, the Nashville Dream and Alabama Renegades, and by November 2001, the roster had grown to 21 teams.

Unknown to many, one of those professional teams, the Biloxi Herricanes (yes, her-ricanes), is right here in Mississippi. And now Biloxi player Rusti Liner, who lives in Brandon and does computer work for the State of Mississippi, is taking the initiative to build a women's professional football team in Jackson. "I just want women that live in the Jackson area to have a team closer to home," she says. "It takes a lot out of you traveling to Biloxi every weekend for a one-day, two hour practice, and having to drive back after a brutal and challenging practice."

Because women in the Jackson area must commute to other cities to play professional football, Liner sees the need for Jackson to step up and provide women like herself a way to play at home with their friends and family here to watch in awe of their talents. Liner, a second-season veteran, is still playing for Biloxi in 2002, but is now focused on building a Jackson team. To do that, Liner says she needs an owner, sponsorship and local support.

Liner, 35, is slowly but surely recruiting women to form the Jackson team. Currently player turnout averages between 10 and 15 women, but she needs at least 25 or 30 to complete the team. Although I have only played flag football and pick-up football—I've had no other opportunities before—I have jumped helmet first into practicing with the Jackson team. My ultimate goal is to play running back, rushing the field, gaining yardage and finally taking the pigskin in for the almighty six-point glory. Though in high school I was active in basketball, volleyball, softball, swimming, and track, my heart was always after the true glory of football. I dreamed of the day when I would be able to wear a helmet and pads, hitting others as hard as I can, and just feeling the brown, oval pigskin in my hands.

Perhaps the day for me to realize my dreams is inching closer, but I still ask where are the rest of my fellow female football stars? They may not be as far away as it might seem. Since 1972, when Congress passed Title IX, which gave women equal rights to funding for sports within an institutional setting, women's sports participation has gone up 36 percent. Since Title IX, women in all sport competitions have banned together to form professional women's teams, including soccer, basketball, softball, billiards, and volleyball teams. And now football.

The budding Jackson team, which so far is nameless, practices every Saturday at Northwest Rankin High School from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., where the athletic director allows us to use their pads and equipment and where the Jackson team would likely play actual games. We also travel to Biloxi to practice with the Herricanes, who will play at Biloxi stadium when the season starts in April. Both here and in Biloxi, we get our workout on and train to break down barriers for other women to pursue a professional career in a sport that was once considered "men only" … football.

— Larissa Hale

Read more about the National Women's Football League at nwflcentral.com. If you're interested in trying out, contact Rusti Liner at 540-5056 or e-mail her at http://[email protected]