Loving the game of football

Posted by Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi | Nov 20, 2014 | Football |

Women’s football player hopes to set an example in male-dominated sport

FRUITLAND, N.M.

Gerilynn Curley, Navajo, is pictured in her Phoenix Phantom football uniform. Curley has played women’s tackle football for the last six years and hopes to encourage more young women to show an interest in the sport. (Courtesy photo)

For the last six years, Gerilynn Curley has spent most of her time traveling and hitting the gym twice a day.

She has spent her summers taking hits and making big blocks for the Phoenix Phantoms women’s tackle football team.

She has put time into the sport so that she can prove that football is not just for males.

“I wanted to do something that there aren’t many females doing,” Curley said. “It’s a pioneer sport for females, it’s something that really isn’t out there.

“Right now there’s women’s football and it’s not a big thing,” she said. “You really don’t hear a lot about it. It’s a good opportunity to be a part of history in women’s sports.”

Curley who is originally from Gallup, moved to the Phoenix area nearly seven years ago.

In high school she played softball, basketball and ran cross-country but never really felt challenged.

All of that changed when she was working out in the gym of her apartment complex and came across a flier that advertised for players interested in playing women’s tackle football.

She said she showed up at a team practice and was very timid. But after one practice she was hooked.

“I started out in the position as a linebacker and I loved it,” she said. “I loved playing defense.”

Curley said she started out playing for the Arizona Caliente team under the Women’s Football Alliance.

The WFA is one of the many women’s football leagues in the country. Curley played the WFA and the Independent Women’s Football League. The WFA follows rules from the National Football League and the IWFA follows those of college football.