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."
What does the partnership mean for the IWFL? First, the IWFL has agreed to mandate that all coaches in the league participate in the USA Football Certified Coaching Education Program (CCEP). Also, all officials in the league will join the USA Football Certified Officiating Education Program (COEP). In addition, both organizations will partner together to assist with camps, leagues and events, and provide equipment, jerseys or items for raffling, such as autographed merchandise.
"We're tremendously excited about our partnership with USA Football," Frederick said. "It will help take girls' and women's football to the next level, so it's exciting for everyone."
Furthermore, USA Football will designate the IWFL as the exclusive provider of women athletes for USA Football's Senior National Teams at both the flag and tackle levels. Team USA will represent USA Football during international events and competitions. The IWFL will select the most appropriate women for Team USA in each event and provide a women's coordinator.
"We're extremely pleased and proud to partner with the IWFL," said USA Football Executive Director Scott Hallenbeck. "Football's appeal is universal. Its values and excitement resonates with women and men, boys and girls. We look forward to a strong relationship with the IWFL for the betterment of the sport and our U.S. women's national team program."
As the national governing body of football at the youth and amateur levels in the U.S., USA Football reaches all corners of the gridiron landscape.
"USA Football has such a large outreach - it's going to be great to partner with an organization that has such a great reputation and has done so much for football," said Andra Douglas, president and founder of the IWFL's New York Sharks. "I think we're a good complement to each other, and it combines two great names. I can't wait to see what the two of us can do together."
Douglas, who last month donated a Sharks jersey to the Sports Museum of America in New York City, believes the future of women's football is one filled with promise.
"I think we'll grow to be as strong as the WNBA," said Douglas, who also played quarterback for the Sharks. "To start with getting flag football in high schools, once girls become aware of it and know they can join their girls' high school flag football teams, they'll do it.
"Once that becomes available, I think people will realize that girls have always wanted to play football; they've just never had the opportunity. What's the saying - ‘Build it and they will come.' They'll come."
The partnership with USA Football was also done to enhance the playing level on the field.
"One of the things we've been focusing on since the league's foundation is the quality of the game and the experience of the players," said Frederick, a founding member of the league that was formed in 2000. "By partnering with USA Football, we'll have a standardized level of education for coaches and officials. The tools that are available through USA Football are only going to contribute to that even more."
The partnership's reach will extend far beyond the girls' and women's games. Ninety-seven percent of officials in the IWFL also officiate youth games, and 67 percent of IWFL officials are also officials at either the high school or college level.
The IWFL season runs from April through July, affording local football officials to hone their skills in the traditional offseason. In addition, coaches in the IWFL are often plucked from the rosters of local high school football coaching staffs. Requiring USA Football certification from IWFL coaches and officials will trickle down to the local high school and youth levels.
"We're very proud to drive that quality and standardization home," Frederick said. "Many of the coaches and officials may already have been USA Football certified, but this will bring reinforcement at our level. Players are all going to be learning by the same standards."
In further consideration of the development and foundation of girls football in the U.S., USA Football and the IWFL will collaborate to ensure the success of the IWFL J League, or Junior League.
"We're looking to establish the league in 2009, with planning and research and development," Frederick said.
For Douglas, exploring the possibilities of what the partnership could mean to girls football is also important. Again this season, Douglas will spearhead the NFL's Junior Player Development camp at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Last year, 150 girls from ages 13-17 participated in the only event of its kind in the country. The clinic returns Feb. 7-8, 2009.
"I can't wait. It gives me chills to think about the partnership," Douglas said. "It's fun to see this finally, finally happening."
With USA Football's expanding footprint at the youth level, girls will also now be targeted as players of America's favorite sport.
"It gives a stamp of approval from the outside world," Douglas said. "We have a wonderful organization, but to have someone like USA Football give their stamp will open up a lot of eyes, and hopefully a lot of doors.
"We want to see the sport grow, and our hearts are in the right place," Douglas continued. We want to get the word out. It's not just about our football teams in the league, but girls growing up who might play on teams someday."
Both groups will work toward eliminating the fear factor that accompanies the physical nature of the sport.
"A lot of parents are scared to death to let their girls play football," Douglas said. "We're focused on safety. It's not as dangerous as people think, and certainly girls are as tough as boys. We just have to dispel the myths.
"Sure, there's a danger, as much as in soccer or basketball or hockey. Dispelling the myths is another high priority that will bring more girls to participate."
Some girls will pounce on the opportunity to play football. Frederick grew up playing with her dad, relatives and friends in the backyard on weekends. When she settled in Austin, Texas, she found other women with a similar background - and an equal affinity for the sport.
"In the very beginning, it was simple - we just wanted to play football, and there were no opportunities out there," said Frederick, a database administrator who owns a consulting business. "A group of us decided to put a team together in Austin, and we found other women doing the same thing in Oregon, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
"We went from four teams the first year to eight teams the second, then to 12 and 20. Now we have 45 teams. In 2008, we established a multi-tier level of play for major and minor markets. With that in place, the growth potential is quite large. It's incalculable the number of women who would like to play pro football."
Their prospects just improved with the IWFL and USA Football partnership.
Check out the IWFL at iwflsports.com.
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
