View Previous Poll Results Football Clinic for Girls a Success It was another successful football event as the 4th Annual Football Clinic for Girls was held on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at Victory Indoor Sports Arena on Staten Island. This free all-day clinic, hosted by the Fins Up! Foundation for Female Athletics and produced by the players and staff of the New York Sharks was joined by Adam Koets of the New York Giants who was on hand (with his Super Bowl ring) to help coach the girls.  Read more >> IFAF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP OF AMERICAN FOOTBALL ANNOUNCES GROUPS, SEEDING AND SCHEDULE America’s first women’s national team in football is seeded No. 1 in the six-nation field.  America’s first women’s national team in football will compete for the 2010 IFAF Women’s World Championship next summer in Stockholm, Sweden.  The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has announced the seeding, groups and schedule for the inaugural 2010 IFAF Women's World Championship and the six nations that will make football history in Sweden this summer.  USA Football, the sport's national governing body on youth and amateur levels, will assemble and manage America's first women's national team in the sport. Forty-five (45) of America's best female athletes will comprise USA Football's 2010 Women's National Team, which will compete in the IFAF Women's World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 26-July 4, 2010. Team USA's coaches and player roster will be announced this spring. IFAF is composed of 57 member nations on five continents with national federations dedicated solely to football. Read more >> Photo courtesy of Barry Millman Dental assistant plays pro football Editor’s Note: I recently had the chance to speak with Katie Tylander, who is a member of the Boston Militia, a member of the Independent Women’s Football League. When Tylander isn’t catching passes, she’s working as a dental assistant. Kevin Henry: How long have you worked in dentistry and what are your current responsibilities? Katie Tylander: I have been working at the Center For Advanced Dental Care since September 2008 and I am the recall coordinator for the office. Besides maintaining the doctors' and hygienists' schedules, I check in and check out patients, assist with treatment planning and payment planning, and research and explain insurance benefits. I also help out in the operatories with charts, set-up, and cleaning when needed. KH: What do you like best about your dental job? Tylander: I like helping our patients in any way possible as well as educating them as best I can about oral hygiene. A healthy mouth leads to a healthy body.  Read more >> Portland Shockwave Night at the Rose Garden! The WHL Portland Winterhawks home game on Friday, February 5th verses the Seattle Thunderbirds will showcase players and coaches from the 2010 Portland Shockwave football team.  The Shockwave will also have a meet and greet booth on the concourse. Shockwave merchandise and information on the up-coming 2010 season will be available and Shockwave players will be on hand for autographs and photo's.  Read more >> First Annual West Coast Clinic A Huge Success! Downey, CA - Approximately 120 players, coaches and staff members from the California Quake, Southern California Breakers and Los Angeles Amazons participated in the first annual, West Coast Clinic last Saturday, January 16, 2010. The teams came together to teach the basic football fundamentals to ladies interested in playing football. This clinic provided players the opportunity to learn from several coaches and soak in their vast amounts of knowledge.  Read more >> 2009 Championship Weekend DVD Collectors Set Available NOW! Own the most anticipated and watched women's football event of the year with this 2009 Championship Weekend DVD Collectors Set. See all the action, the hits, and the big plays from both the 2009 World Championship and North American Championship games! The two disc set features the most comprehensive coverage of a women’s football championship ever produced, including pre game interviews, trophy presentations and extra features! Proceeds from the sale of this item support the players and teams of the IWFL. Thank you for your Support of our Sport!   Buy it HERE!!! IWFL Store    Read more >> USA FOOTBALL WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM TO COMPETE IN FIRST IFAF WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP by Steve Alic, USA Football   America’s First Women’s National Team in Football Vies for 2010 IFAF Women’s World Championship in Stockholm   Football history will be made in Stockholm, Sweden, next summer.   USA Football, the sport’s national governing body on youth and amateur levels, will assemble and manage America’s first women’s national team in the sport. Forty-five (45) of America’s best female athletes will comprise USA Football’s 2010 Women’s National Team, which will compete in the first International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Women’s World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 26-July 4, 2010.   Six countries, including the United States, will participate in the landmark tournament. Paris-based IFAF, the sport’s international federation, will announce the six-nation field by December 1.    Women's tackle football, a growing segment within a burgeoning international sport, is played competitively in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Venezuela and the United States.    Team USA players will be selected from the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL), which consists of more than 1,800 female athletes on 51 teams across North America.  USA Football, with assistance from the IWFL, will select and announce the team’s coaching staff and player roster by Feb. 1, 2010.  The IWFL is an official sport partner of USA Football.  USA Football’s Women’s National Team will be outfitted in Riddell equipment.  Chicago-based Riddell is the official helmet and protective equipment partner of USA Football’s national teams.  Read more >> IWFL CHAMPIONS HATS AVAILABLE IN THE ONLINE STORE NOW! Proceeds from our online store contribute to the promotion and development of women's football as well as many other athletic programs for girls and women around the country. Please browse the store and support the league, teams and these fine athletes.  Read more >> Coach Patrick Hughes Diamonds Sign Hughes To Lead Team In 2010 After much deliberation and valued input from returning veterans and coaches, Diamonds owner, Dawn Berndt has named Patrick Hughes as Head Coach for the upcoming season.   Patrick served as the Diamonds Receivers/Running Backs Coach in 2004 and as Defensive Coordinator from 2005-2008.  He is an esteemed member of the Diamond family as well as a part of coaching four Championship seasons.  Read more >> Chiefs honor Tribe during pregame ceremonies this Saturday The Kansas City Chiefs will formally recognize the 2009 IWFL World Champion Kansas City Tribe at mid-field during the pre-game ceremonies at Arrowhead Stadium this Saturday, August 15th.  The Chiefs are playing the Houston Texans. Kickoff is 7:00 p.m.  Read more >> World Championship Offensive MVP Jenny Schmidt accepts her award necklace from Jan Mackay, owner of Jana Vaustin Originals. Congratulations IWFL MVP's! The IWFL would like to congratulate the MVP’s of Championship Weekend. Fan Favorite MVP’s were chosen by fan vote and received a custom marble award created by Bat City Awards. Offensive and Defensive MVP’s received a custom handcrafted silver MVP necklace by Jana Vaustin Originals.   Tier II North American Championship Sheri Deick - Fan Favorite MVP Abigail Coons - Defensive MVP Brenda VanCuick - Offensive MVP   Tier I World Championship Jenny Schmidt - Offensive MVP, Fan Favorite MVP Layne Anonsen - Defensive MVP   All Star Game Winner – IWFL East  Lisa Horton – Fan Favorite MVP Jennifer King - Offensive MVP Olivia Griswold - Defensive MVP  Read more >> K.C. Tribe’s player and co-owner Mindy White accepts the trophy for defeating the D.C. Divas at the 2009 IWFL World Championship game at the Round Rock Sports Complex on Saturday. Photo by Jamie Harms A WOMAN'S WORLD Schmidt a star in showcase of women’s football Saturday   By ARIC ALLEN Special to the Round Rock Leader   Round Rock's introduction to women's football ended in dramatic form Saturday, with Kansas City holding on to topple previously unbeaten D.C. The K.C. Tribe defeated the D.C. Divas 21-18 in the Independent Women's Football League World Championship game at the Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex Saturday. The Tribe, which finished the season 10-1, was led by first-year quarterback Jenny Schmidt, one of the most prolific passers in the IWFL. In her first year in the league she passed for 3,030 yards and 41 touchdowns while only throwing 10 interceptions. Schmidt didn't disappoint in the championship; she completed 16 of 28 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns. She also rushed for a touchdown from 2 yards out.  Read more >> Deborah Cannon AMERICAN-STATESMAN - The Eastern Division's Jennifer King, right, celebrates a touchdown with teammate Monica Foster at the IWFL All-Star game in Round Rock. Women's tackle league brings championship game to Round Rock Players culled from all walks of life. By Kevin Robbins AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Monday, July 27, 2009 Tracie Williams is a 40-year-old nurse in Dallas with two grown children, gold eyeshadow and dainty flowers painted on her toenails. She also is ready to crush you. When not helping patients heal, Williams plays defensive back for the Dallas Diamonds of the Independent Women's Football League. She was a rookie last year, when the team went 11-0 to win the IWFL World Championship and jeweled rings engraved with their jersey numbers. This year, Williams and few teammates drove from Dallas to watch the 2009 championship and all-star games at the Round Rock ISD Athletic Complex. They saw the Kansas City Tribe beat the D.C. Divas 21-18 on Saturday night. Williams and her friends stayed Sunday morning for the league all-star game, which included four Dallas Diamonds — and some Seattle Majestics, Sacramento Sirens, Modesto Maniax, Minnesota Vixen, Los Angeles Amazons, Carolina Queens and a Clarksville Fox. Formed in 2000 and based in Austin, the league has grown from eight charter teams to 51 now, in two conferences of three divisions each. The 1,600 women play full-contact tackle football in stadiums from California to Maine, and as far north as Montreal  Read more >> www.twitter.com/IWFL Follow the game's on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter.com for up to the minute game updates and scores from around the nation! Have score tweets delivered right to your mobile phone! Join today! www.twitter.com/IWFL  Read more >> Football Camp For Girls The 4th Annual New York Sharks Football Camp for girls will be held on Saturday February 27th, 2010, 9am - 5pm. This FREE one day clinic will be hosted and run by the players and coaches from the NY Sharks. We also have New York Giants player Adam Koets joining us this year at the camp! This is your chance to see a real Super Bowl ring!! The camp will be held at Victory Sports Arena on Staten Island. The clinic is open to girls ages 12-17. Registration begins at 8:30am. Please arrive by 8:30am on the Saturday for registration. Free lunch and busing to the facility will be provided. This is a wonderful opportunity for young girls to learn basic football skills, meet some new friends and have a fun time!  Read more >> Women's Museum in Dallas features IWFL in Sports Exhibit  Unlike Superman, New York Sharks owner Andra Douglas had more than one uniform. So while one of her game jerseys is still being held hostage in New Jersey (see The Case of the Missing Jersey), her other uniform is being displayed at the Women's Museum in Dallas, Texas. It is on display along with other sports artifacts from female athletes around the world. Read about the display in the article "Women in Sports" on the museum's website. Pittsburgh Passion documentary nominated for 2009 Billie Award LOS ANGELES -- Pittsburgh Passion, documentary feature film, has been nominated for a 2009 Billie Award in Journalism. The Billie Awards honor extraordinary contribution to media coverage and insightful portrayal of women and girls in sports. With special honoree, Dick Ebersol, Chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, and special performance by Sir Elton John, the winners will be honored on Wednesday, April 1, 2009, at The Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, California, home of the Hollywood Golden Globes. A program of the Women's Sports Foundation, trustees include Billie Jean King, Sheryl Crow, Laila Ali, and Holly Hunter.  Read more >> Partnership Gives Bright Future to Women’s Football By Dave McMahon, Special to USA Football The Independent Women's Football League partners with USA Football on education programs and women's national teams.   Football at the women's and girls' level received a tremendous boost this week with the announcement that the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) and USA Football have formed a partnership. The partnership will allow for extensive growth for women and girls playing football, a division of the sport that has seen exponential growth over the past decade. "We really like the philosophy of what USA Football is doing in trying to standardize the youth football market in terms of education for coaches and officials," said Laurie Frederick, CEO of the IWFL. "We want to make sure girls' football is standardized from the beginning."  Read more >> From Prom Queen To Playmaker To Cosmo Girl! Dallas Diamonds Wide Receiver Danilynn Welniak graces the pages of Cosmopolitan magazine this month. The 19-year-old tells how she delayed her college scholarship to play for the World Championship football team. Welniak is a great example of how to dedicate yourself to pursuing your dreams in both athletics and academics. “It is an amazing feeling to be in a national magazine”, says Welniak.  “I hope I can inspire women to do what they love and enjoy.”  Read more >> IWFL Featured on USAFootball.com! Women a Significant Part of Football's Family Portrait By Matt Molina, USA Football It’s a common stereotype that while men are watching football on TV, women are in a separate room watching something like Simon Cowell from American Idol making some poor kid cry.  A common notion is that women would rather dissect an actress’ wardrobe on Oscar night than break down a well-executed screen pass.   However, the growing popularity of football isn’t solely attributed to men; women are a significant part of the game.  In fact, in 2008, the number of women who tuned in to watch the New York Giants win Super Bowl XLII doubled the number watching the Academy Awards three weeks later.  Read more >> D.C. Divas Running Back Featured On Washingtonpost.com D.C. Divas running back Monica Livingston is the subject of this week's featured video in the Washington Post's onBeing project by Jennifer Crandall. Learn more at Washington Post onBeing or click here to see the video!  Read more >> NY Sharks Autographed IWFL Ball On Display in Canton, OH. IWFL Sharks Featured In The Pro Football Hall Of Fame! The New York Sharks have made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. A display of the Hall's latest acquisitions includes an IWFL football signed by the 2005 New York Sharks. It is on display along with items from Pete Rozelle, Walter Payton, Bart Starr, and Franco Harris. This is the first item from a women's football team to be displayed at the Hall of Fame. It will remain on display through March of next year. Read more >>   Check here often to hear your favorite IWFL players comment on the Perspective subject. Current Player Perspective Question: What separates women's football from men's football? Click here to view player responses! Check out archived Player Perspectives by clicking here.