Woman's Football to Tackle Chabot Campus

Woman's football to tackle Chabot campus

A tough group of ladies is coming to hit the Gladiator football field in April, and these might not be the kind of ladies you want to mess with. As Chabot will now play host to a woman's tackle football team, the Oakland Banshees of the Independent Woman's Football League. The Banshees will have its home opener on April 9 against the Santa Rosa Scorchers at 7 p.m.

The Oakland Banshees are the Bay Area's female answer to the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders. The Banshees even go as far as wearing the same colors of the Raiders, silver and black. In the dictionary, the word banshee is described as a female spirit in Gaelic folklore who wails to warn of impending death.

The Banshees may not look like an Irish ghost, but they might scare some of their opponents on the field with the way they hit. Expect to see a good game as the Banshees are coming off a strong 2004 season, as they went 8-1 overall and finished first in the Pacific Southwest Division with the San Diego SeaCatz (3 wins) and California Quake (0 wins) trailing far behind in total victories. The Banshees were tied for second overall in the Western Conference along with the Tacoma Majestics, but behind the Sacramento Sirens who ended the season with a 10-1 record including playoffs.

The Banshees are currently comprised of 33 women from around the Bay Area who all have the same drive and determination to play the game of football. According to the Banshees Website at www.oaklandbanshees.com, the team is currently looking for players to fill the roster with local ladies who are interested in competing on the field. The team also has a few open staff positions: Stats, public and media relations, community director, and athletic trainer. All eager participants must submit a resume to kisha@oaklandbanshees.com.

The team is a member of the Independent Women's Football League (IWFL), and the league was founded in 2000 by a group of women who were dedicated to making the sport a household name, according to the league's official Website. The Oakland Banshees, along with the other 24 teams are a non-profit organization, here sorely for the success of the sport of women's tackle football according to the Website. The focus is on providing opportunities for women to play a popular American sport while