Football Posts

Here are some examples of my football blog that I currently write. I play women's tackle football for the Portland Fighting Fillies of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA).

Welcome to Women's Football (Posted 10/11/2009)

Hello readers!

My name is Holly Custis and I play women's tackle football. Yes. Football. Yes, we wear pads and helmets. Yes, we tackle. Yes, we are women. No, it's not soccer. No, it's not powder puff. I'm talking real, live, hard hitting, football.

I have played for 3 years for the Corvallis Pride of the IWFL. This year however, I have decided to join the newly formed Portland Fillies of the WFA. I like the direction the WFA is going on the business side of things and have decided that to play for a team in this league is worth the drive up the highway for me.

I will be writing in this blog throughout the season to give people a perspective of what it is like to play women's football. My ultimate goal is to get enough entries to write a book. I feel like this subject is interesting on many levels.

I want to give my readers access and perspective into this world. It's exciting, complicated, revealing, and interesting. I will talk about football, women, relationships, what it's like to be a woman athlete, what it's like to be a woman football player, and all the glory and pain of football.

Welcome to Women's Football.


How Did I Get Into Women's Football (posted 10/11/2009)

You might be wondering how I became a women's football player. Well, I have pretty much been an athlete my whole life. Ever since I got introduced to tee-ball at age 6 I have been playing some sort of sport. You name it, I have probably played it. I just love anything having to do with sports. I love the competition. I love the relationships you build with your teammates. I love pushing myself physically. And I love the psychology and mental challenges of outsmarting your opponent.


I grew up playing softball, basketball, volleyball, swimming, golf, and even soccer for a couple of years. My summers were spent at sports camps. My identity was an athlete who happened to be driven academically too. My family was always supportive. My parents put a lot of time, effort, and money, to make sure I had many opportunities to pursue my love of sports. I was lucky in that regard after meeting others that had it more difficult.


In high school, I played volleyball, basketball, softball, and golf. I feel like I did alright. I was an all-around athlete. I ran against some politics that I felt hindered my potential. I also now feel like in modern day sports there is a lot of pressure on kids to specialize in one particular sport. The fact that I played everything meant I wasn't playing one all year long like others. However, I am proud of the fact that I played everything. I'll probably devote more time to this subject later.


I also grew up an avid sports fan. I remember being 7 years old and crying when my beloved Portland Trail Blazers would lose to my mom's Utah Jazz. Additionally, my family has had season tickets to the University of Oregon Duck football games since I was probably 10 or 11. I grew up a passionate, knowledgeable, and rabid fan of football. My grandmother lived in San Francisco and through visiting her I grew up a 49ers fan. Jerry Rice was my hero. I loved everything he represented which was hard work, athletic ability, passion, and just flat out wanting it more than anyone else.


Fast forward to 2006. I had been attending the University of Oregon. When I got to college in 2002, I decided not to try to walk on in anything and just focus on school. I was like free-time? What do I do with this? I really think I didn't find myself until college because in high school I had no time to do so. It was nice to just focus on school, have fun, and try to find out who I am.


I played inter mural sports and played club Ultimate Frisbee for a bit. I also worked out at the rec center and spent much time playing pick-up basketball with the boys and some football players. However, slow pitch softball and pick-up basketball games were just not doing it for me anymore.

I heard about a women's tackle football team in town and I thought I would check it out so we went to a game. I watched these women and I thought. Omygod! I could do this!

Something about playing a sport that I had watched since I was little but never thought I could play was very exciting to me. So I got the information I needed to keep in contact with them.

I spent that next year going to school and watching football like always but now with a different sort of anticipation. What would I play? Would these women like me? Would this be a hobby or a passion for me?

The time came for me to meet with the Eugene players the following fall in preparation for the next season. After a couple of meetings however, the Eugene owners, who were also players, let us know that they just didn't have the funds or the players to keep us going that year but that the Corvalis Pride was willing to let us come up and play for them.

Corvallis is about a 45 minute drive from Eugene. Corvallis is also the home of my school's in-state rival, the Oregon State Beavers. I initially was put off by that but still the opportunity to play was too much for me to pass up so I made the trek up I-5 to the first practice. The first practice was at Corvallis High School. Of course I got lost and was 15 minutes late to the first practice. Mind you I hate being late. I ran onto the field and was very embarrassed and joined the group of women warming up in lines.

This practice also happened to be directly after a snow storm we had had in the Willamette Valley so half the field was literally covered in snow. It was freaking cold! However, I had so much fun running around and catching passes that I knew I was suppose to be there.

After that first practice I decided to tell my family that I was going to be playing football. I suppose they really didn't know what to think. I think my dad was secretly intrigued because he played football in college at a small school in Indiana. My mother was confused and somehow thought it was part of my "rebellion" against her (as mothers seem to think every change their child endures is). Frankly, I think she was just scared her daughter would get hurt. She insisted I play wide receiver so that the big girls wouldn't tackle me. I promised just to get her off my case.

That first year I ended up playing running back and corner on defense. I found my sport that I was always meant to play. In every sport I played I was always the hustle player that would dive into bleachers after loose basketballs. Now here was a sport that actually rewards you for that kind of hustle.

I can't explain what it's like to tackle someone. I believe that I am pretty laid back and even keel. It takes a lot to upset me. I was always aggressive in sports but never angry. Then something happen to me after I learned how to tackle. It's this amazing transference of energy. It starts from your soul, whatever emotion you were feeling, through your body, and literally through the other person. And yet what one would think would hurt really doesn't...ok most of the time.

I have to tell you it's addicting. That feeling is actually therapeutic. You go into the off season and wish you had pads if you had a bad day. It gets into your blood stream. It's that adrenaline and almost primal state of grit and determination.

I would actually argue it's not masculine. It's human. It's not even necessarily violent, at least in my eyes that's not the purpose. The purpose is to find yourself completely alright with finding your deep strength that you didn't know you had.

That first year we only won 2 games but it was enough for me to become formally addicted to the sport. I grew up watching football on television and I guarantee you that I knew more than most middle-aged men. However, a funny thing happens when you actually start playing the game, you understand it on a much more technical level. It was exciting for me to notice a great increase in my understanding when I started watching football after that first season.

That October marked the beginning of an era of turmoil in my personal life. I was in the process of moving to Albany from Eugene and was in Albany at the time. My siblings were at school, my dad was at work, and my mother was at home with the dog when the fire started.

My mother heard a boom like a car accident and looked outside the house to find no sign of anything until she saw smoke coming out of the back of the house. She grabbed the dog, ran out of the house, and called 911. I got a frantic call from her and jumped in my car with the emergency lights going and flew up I-5.

By the time I got there, 3 blocks around my house were blocked off by police and fire fighters. I got clearance to get around and arrived at the front of my house to find my mother who was visibly shaken. The back of the house was engulfed in flames in a way that made you numb because that stuff only happens in movies. It didn't feel like it was my house.

Neighbors were around to try to comfort my family. Channel 2 news from Portland was there covering it. Apparently a couple of firemen got hurt. Insurance people were asking questions. My dad was fighting back tears and trying not to get pissed off at the news people. It was awful.

3 months later my mom was trying to get away and took my sister with her dune buggying in Florence. The dune buggy caught fire and they had a hard time getting her out of it. She finally did but not before she sustained 3rd degree burns on 8 percent of her body.

Needless to say, I was struggling with all of this. But one thing that was constant was football and my teammates. Football gave me something to focus on. My teammates were supportive and understanding. It was awesome to feel like I had a second family when I really needed it and I will always be grateful to them.

Going into the second season I felt like I had something to prove. Scratch that. I had everything to prove: to myself, to my team, to my family, to the world. Football helped me pull myself up from the the dust and emerge a much stronger, wiser, and better person.


Woman In A Man's Sport (Posted 11/19/2009)

You may be wondering if I have come across people who say: Women can't play football. Well, I have of course but it doesn't really bother me because their arguments are just silly to my well trained ears.

I grew up a female athlete. I know that when I play pick up basketball that I have to work twice as hard and that most guys won't pass me the ball until they realize I can play. I know that women's sports haven't gotten the attention of the men.

However I firmly believe that football is a bit different. A funny thing happens when you put on shoulder pads and a helmet. People forget you are women. They start identifying you as a football player.

We might get the occasional giggle from the stands. But then we start to tackle and those same giggles turn into disbelief that a girl could hit like that.

Baseball is no longer America's favorite past time. It's now football. Football is the closest we get to the soccer hooligans of the world. We watch a sport that is normally played once a week, every day of the week, multiple times a day, and on multiple screens.

I believe that once people are aware of women's football...they love it. Because it's football.

Now there are those out there as well that feel like women who play football are trying to some how be more masculine. Try Again. We just love the sport. Yes, it's rough. But who says women can't be strong? Who says women can't be empowered by using their bodies as an instrument other than for sex or birthing? Who wrote the rule that women can't be just as fierce and determined as men?

Come out and watch us play and you will realize that women playing football is not against the law of physics.

Actually Isaac Newton would probably enjoy women's football.

Fillies Out of the Gate With a Bang (Posted 4/11/2010)

As the scoreboard ticked off triple 0 I couldn't really comprehend it. We won over the Ventura Black Widows.

We arrived at the field around 4 to help set up the concession stands and decorations. Note to self, trying to carry 15 balloons to the street corner to decorate the fence with while the winds are around 20 mph is a bit more difficult than previously thought.

At 4:30pm we went into the locker room to get ready. We just got our new uniforms on Thursday and we are all anxious to get them on. I have to say that they are pretty damn cool. They are edgy and professional looking. I am proud of them. The sizes seemed to run a bit small but I think that's party due to the material of them being naturally tight. I had to jump up and down a little to get my pants on over my leg pads but I got it to work.

We went out onto the field at 5pm for early warm ups. As we were running onto the field I had to say we look damn good in purple.

I worked receiving kicks for a while. I'm glad that I did because the wind was making it difficult to read. I would come up hard and then the wind would catch the ball and it would sail over my head. Or I would hang back and it would die in front of me. After a few though I kind of got a gauge on it.

At 5:20 we went back into the locker room for the pep talk. As we all sat there it was all I could do to stay calm.

As we ran back on the field I couldn't help but feel like all the hard work we have put in was now going to be tested.

We were fairly silent during our stretching and warm-ups. If you know our team this is unusual. I think everyone was starting to focus.

We lined up in the end zone and they announced everyone on the team. As I they announced me and I ran out on the field I looked and saw the fan turnout that we had for the game and was impressed. We never got that when I played for the Pride and I never even saw it for other teams when we played away games.

We had won the toss and I ran out alongside Tucker to receive the kick off. As the whistle was blown I said out loud to myself, "It's just like practice" and sure enough the ball came to me. I grabbed it and run to about the 50 yard line. Ok, here we go I thought.

I knew before the game what the first call was going to be and I had envisioned how good it would feel if I could bust one. But I didn't think it would actually happen. I got a pitch and turned the corner, made a couple moves, and next thing I know everyone is pounding my helmet because I scored the first touchdown in Fillies history. I have to admit to everyone that it was also my technical first touchdown in my career. I have scored a couple but they were all called back. I felt almost a relief that we got off to that start.

Our defense was incredible all game. We had several sacks, an interception by Mac-Attack, and a fumble recovery.

Our offense ran the ball very well. Our offensive line made huge holes. Overall we played well.

The other team had about 9 players. Now coming from the Pride I can relate to them. I know what it feels like to be on the other side of that blow out. Sometimes it's not how much talent you have when you have only 9 players. I have to say that I completely respect their heart. They didn't ever give up no matter what the score was.

The game was a great confidence booster for us however next week our real season begins at Fresno and they have more than 9 players. Every yard against them will be a lot harder. We will be tested and I think we are ready.

I am extremely proud of this team. I can't tell my teammates enough how much they mean to me. Stay tuned for week 2!

Game 2: Triumph (posted 4/19/2010)

Here is a recap of our 2nd game:

Friday I met Shalynn, Wheels, and Barbara off of I-5 at around 2pm. They got a little delayed in meeting me so I decided I was hungry and went into the Chevron to the A&W to get a corn dog because the lady in front of me got one and it sounded good.

When I told them I got a corn dog for some reason they though it was pretty damn random and funny. This would be our trip theme apparently.

Shalynn took the first leg driving and it was a beautiful day. Barbara came prepared with lot's of snacks. And she brought red vines so I will forever love her!

I took over in Medford. We got a little lost around Weed trying to find a gas station.

We stopped in Redding for dinner. Little did we know that there was an old car parade going on at the same time but we were able to find an Olive Garden. We sat down. Our waitress had a voice like she worked at Disney Land. Little kids were running around and I couldn't tell if the voices were the kids or her.

Then Shalynn said that a corn dog actually did sound good. We decided that we would be part of a Corn Dog Anonymous group. For some reason this was hysterical to us and I cried laughing.

We had a nice dinner and jumped back in the car. We arrived at our Hotel in Sacramento around 10pm. It was a nice hotel. We got to our room and got ready for bed. Apparently there was a group of kids staying next door that thought it was fun to be loud and run up and down the hall. Shalynn told them to be quiet but really she should have put on a helmet and chased them.

They woke us up at 7am. We showered and had breakfast. Wheels was happy because there was a waffle maker.

We jumped back into the car and drove the last 2 hours to the hotel in Madera. We got there around noon. As we were pulling up we saw one of our vans pull up.

We had 2 large vans driving down as well as 3-4 groups going down separately. One of the vans at 3am hit a deer. Bambi did not make it. The van wouldn't start. The cops were called. Then rainbow fixed the van and all was ok.

Everyone was drained so we took a little nap. We had Quiznos for lunch and chilled in the room for a bit. At 4:30 we ran to Big 5 so Barbara could buy knee pads because she forgot hers.

We arrived at the high school just before 5. We were the first ones there. After everyone finally got there and we got settled in we took the field for warm ups.

It was in the high 70's all day but our kickoff wasn't until 7pm so it was a bit cooler after we kicked off.

They returned the opening kick off for a touchdown.

We bounced back and scored right back.

They burned us deep.

We bounced back and scored right back.

Their team although talented resorted to some unorthodox methods of trying to take me down. But I bounced right back.

They tried to intimidate us. But we bounced right back.

Instead of folding we stuck together.

And it ended up being a very hard fought game. But I am so very proud of my team because we willed out that win. We took all the adversity and channeled it to do better. That's the sign of a good team.

Our offensive line was amazing. Every time I ran up the middle they created huge holes for me.

Their quarterback had a great arm but we were able to force her out of the pocket and make her throw on the run. After some adjustments our defense slowed them down.

I really feel like we proved something to ourselves this game.

It was a great feeling to be tested and come out on top.

I was exhausted. I took off my pads and my undershirt was literally soaked. I think I grossed people out. There were times when I was beat up and tested but I wanted to keep going for my team.

The CDA (corndog annoymous group) left the hotel at 8am the next day. The drive back was LONG but I was able to try to sleep through part of it. I did NOT sleep well at all the night before because I was so sore I couldn't get comfortable.

I got home around 6pm. Threw my clothes in the washer. Ate dinner. Took Ibprofen. Watched the Blazers steal game 1 from the Suns. And passed out.