Austin Yellowjackets: Women's Football

Austin Yellowjackets advance to the Championship after an undefeated season. Photo Courtesy of Austin Yellowjackets

Saturday mornings are for sleeping in well that is until you join a women's football team. Last year on a whim, I attended a tryout for a local women's football team called the Austin Yellowjackets. I had no idea what to expect going into the experience or if I would even be good at it. The Yellowjackets are a part of the Independant Women's Football League (IWFL). They are comprised of a team of women from varying backgrounds that pay to play full pad full tackle football. With full time jobs during the day, the YJs come together only 4-8 hours out of the week to practice for Saturday games. After making the team, I was equal parts excited and nervous. Some of these women played for 5-10 years and there was no way I was going to be as good as them and the truth is I am still not. Since it was my first year playing I got placed on the Offensive line. As someone less than 200 lbs, having to tackle and get tackled by women twice my size was intimidating and it hurt.

Being a part of this team allowed me to be vulnerable. I had seen and photograhed football and even understood the concept of the game, but playing was a whole different ballgame. I quickly noticed I was the worst player on the team so I had to work three times as hard as the other women. Even with the extra work, I sat the bench most of the season. I made it my goal to get into a game even if it was just for one play. I wanted all of the hours of work I put in to mean something besides just being a hitting target during practice and pregame warmups. After an undefeated season we made our way to Utah for the IWFL Championships. It was the last quarter of the game and we were losing by a couple of touchdowns. That is when coach put me in the game. I was only in for a play but it was still an accomplishment.

If you've made it this far, you are probably wondering where the nutrition aspect of this comes in. I kept it last for a reason. Being a part of this team impacted me in so many other ways that I felt needed to be represented. So here are my main takeaways:

1. Setting goals is cool but make sure they are reallistic. If my goal was to be a starter, I would have never reached it. Since I was learning; I assessed where I was, what the obstacles were that I needed to face, how much extra work I needed to put in, and who I was competing with. This allowed me to set a reachable goal of getting into the game for at least one play. This taught me the importance to set realistic goals for future clients. After all, small steps are still steps.

2. It gave me a platform to practice using the sports nutrition knowledge I gained under the Sports Dieitians for The University of Texas Athletics to fuel myself. Playing football also allowed me to see what collegiate and professional football athletes go through. Granted we were not out there completing two-a-days in 103 degree weather, but now I can relate to the soreness, bruises, cuts, hunger, and mental challenges that come with this sport.