Girl’s Powderpuff league begins at UAHS
By Jane Eskildsen,’15
The elementary school days of playing flag football in gym class are long gone for students. However, some have decided that the non-competitive and carefree style of staying active shouldn’t be written off quite yet.
Freshman Eli Wachtman began the UAHS Powderpuff League in hopes of creating such an atmosphere for students to take part. The league is newly organized and currently has 88 members, including a team of female teachers.
The league will acquire current UAHS football players as coaches for the club. They will help teach the club different strategies for the games.
The non-aggressive outlook on an all-girl flag football team is exactly what many students are looking for in order to stay active.
Powderpuff football leagues are typically seen in colleges across the U.S. Powderpuff is an all women’s sport following the usual rules of flag football. Wachtman established the club because she wanted to get involved with a sport she hadn’t been able to play.
“Football has always been a sport that intrigues me, yet I’ve rarely gotten the chance to play it,” Wachtman said. “Now, in high school, I jumped at the opportunity to create a club in which all girls could enjoy the sport while playing with their friends.”
The league will meet every Sunday at the Marv. to play games. The winning team will earn bragging rights and possibly a prize.
“The main goal of this club is to provide an opportunity for all girls to benefit from playing on a sports team with their friends without having to make a major commitment or worry about intense competition,” Wachtman said.
Wachtman wanted to kickstart the club as soon as possible so that she could include her older sister in the process.
“With many of my friends in the senior class I was motivated to start this club sooner rather than later so that I could enjoy this experience with some of my closest friends,” Wachtman said.
Senior Annika Wachtman had never seriously thought about beginning the club until this year. The idea for the club had always been a simple idea that brought together the sisters’ interests.
“My sister decided this was the year. Everybody thought she was joking, but she wasn’t… Before we knew it our jokes had become reality,” Wachtman said.
According to Language Arts teacher Elizabeth Van Winkle, the Powderpuff league is a good way for girls to meet new friends in a relaxed setting while also staying active.
Van Winkle believes that this is the best part of the club, the mixing of interests and abilities among students. With current male student football players providing their knowledge as coaches, there is a wide array of skills shown in the club.
“It brings together all different kinds of girls with different interests to have a new experience. It is relaxed and fun and it’s something that they can do for fun but still be active,” Van Winkle said. “Overall, it will be a very beneficial club for girls of all ages.”