International Women’s Flag Football tournament at Ohio Northern University May 4-5

Interested in playing? An informational session is Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 in Hill Memorial 102.

By Russ Crawford

Last semester, students in the Women’s Sport History class convinced Diane Beruldsen, president of the International Women’s Flag Football Association to hold a women’s flag football tournament at ONU. We consulted with ONU Athletic Director Tom Simmons and Andy Wentling, Plant Manager for the Wilson Football factory. Both agreed to help sponsor the tournament.

The IWFFA plays an 8-on-8 semi-contact version of flag football that allows for blocking along the line, which opens the game up to all women. All ages are also eligible, and at the Association’s Provincetown tournament, one player was retired English Professor Maureen Travis, who was in her 80s.

Beruldsen has traveled the world spreading the good news of girls and women playing flag football. She plans to arrive two weeks before the tournament to hold informational practices for girls in the local area junior and senior high schools.

She hopes that some girl’s teams will be able to play in a separate division in the tournament. Beruldsen asserts that flag football, as played by the IWFFA, is for building skills that girls or women can apply to their lives, not as a win-at-all-costs event.

Likewise, ONU’s football historian Russ Crawford plans to hold an informational session next Tuesday March 26 at 6:30 in Hill Memorial 102. He hopes to get enough ONU women – students, faculty, or staff – interested to form one or two teams to play in the Adult Division. Any women from the area are welcome to play as well – the IWFFA has a “Loose Women” team made up of any women who do not have a regular team.