by Aaron Hunter
Staff Writer

The sports world is often looked at as a “man’s world”, but these days women are beginning to take the “guy” label away from certain sports, including football.

In 2000, the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL) was founded, giving women the rare opportunity to play on the gridiron semi-professionally.

Since then it has expanded, currently fielding 40 teams from Montreal to Miami covering nine divisions within two conferences.

When the IWFL was first founded, the goal was to create a women’s football league that would become the top tier of women’s tackle football in the world. Now with a membership of 1,300 in the U.S. and Canada, ranging from former track stars to rugby players, the IWFL has become the NFL of women’s football.

Among these 40 teams lies a team of our own, the Seattle Majestics, which participates in the Pacific Northwest Division of the Western Conference. The Majestics, which are headed by Coach Mike Talley, went undefeated through their season last year at 8-0 before losing their first game of the divisional playoffs to the Sacramento Sirens.

The Majestics, who play their home games at Seattle Center’s Memorial Stadium, have annual tryouts attended by women from all over the state of Washington.

“I was hesitant about playing (football) at first, but after the first tryout I was hooked,” said Wide Receiver/Cornerback Adrienne Wilson.

The fast paces and hard hits separate an IWFL game from your average game of flag football, and create fierce competition among the some of Washington’s elite female athletes.

While recalling previous sports she played, and comparing them with the football team, Wilson, 28, claims there’s a lot more to learn about plays and rules. She says that football is a lot more fun than any other sport she has participated in, which includes running track at Eastern Washington University.

Without the IWFL these 1,300 women wouldn’t have been able to participate in organized semi-pro tackle football. With new teams joining the league each year more women will get their shot to be a part of a sport which was once designated for men.

“I plan on playing for the Majestics as long as I can,” says Wilson who is excited for her first IWFL game on April 12 against the Portland Shockwave at the Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m.