American football is a fast-paced, high-contact sport. It’s also primarily dominated by men, which can make it difficult for women to get involved. There are very few co-ed games of American football available, and these can be intimidating as you’re playing with people who are a lot bigger and heavier than you.
But there are plenty of opportunities for women to get involved in contact sports; you just need to know where to look and how to get started.
Why Try American Football
First of all, why consider American football at all? The short answer is that it’s fun. You also get a chance to take out some of your aggression in a relatively safe and productive environment. But some of the most compelling reasons to take up any team sport, including American football, are the health and social benefits that you experience.
Health Benefits of American Football
When it comes to general fitness, the most important factor in how healthy you are is how active you are. If you have specific fitness goals, like being able to lift a certain amount of weight, reduce your body weight, increase your muscle mass, or achieve a specific body type, you might have to be picky about what kinds of exercises you do so you can get the best results in the shortest amount of time.
But if you want to just get fit and be healthy, which is a great goal for everyone to have, you just need to move.
Sports are a fantastic way to exercise, especially if you’re organized and play once or twice a week. You get high-intensity exercise on a fairly regular basis, and you have another incentive to train at other times during the week.
Playing a sport like American football is also a balanced exercise, because you’re involving both cardio and strength training.
Social Benefits of American Football
Another benefit of playing a team sport is in the phrase itself. As part of a team, you have an easy way to meet new people, make friends, and connect with people who have similar interests to you. This is a fantastic way to widen your social circle.
When you spend time with people doing something you both enjoy, it’s easy to start wanting to meet up and do other things. You might not end up being best friends with everyone on your team, but it’s good to try to meet as many people as possible.
Whether you struggle to make new friends as an adult or not, you can’t really have too many friends.
What Might Hold People Back From Playing American Football
Even with those benefits, some people might be nervous about getting involved with American football. Women aren’t socialized to play contact sports in the same way as men, so it might not be something you’re encouraged to do as a youth.
You might also be worried about getting hurt, or you might not be sure about how to play the game, or whether you’re good enough to play.
But these are things that can change with time.
Becoming Familiar With the Game
As you learn more about a sport, you might become more interested in it, and you might want to know how to play. You can become familiar with American football simply by watching it. This will give you a basic understanding of how it’s played and what the rules are.
It’s also a good idea to watch instructional videos about American football on YouTube, as well as to read rulebooks.
But if you want the rules of the game to be drilled into you, you need to start playing and apply what you learn.
Finding Groups and Teams
Another major setback for playing American football is finding a group of people to play with, especially if you’re concerned about what level you can play. There is a more limited selection of Women’s American Football hobby teams out there, but if you know where to look, you can find people with the same interests and ideas as you.
For example, the NFL Women’s Community is designed to get more women interested in the sport, partly with education, and also with resources, events, and ways to connect potential teams. You can also use social media to find local teams near you.
You can also explore a few different types of teams, including teams made up of other beginners or, if you aren’t sure about full-contact football, teams that play similar games that are a bit less dangerous.
Once you have a team together, you should find a place to play. You can find pitches and fields in sports complexes and even schools that might allow you to use their facilities for a fee. This can work well for working adults who want to use these facilities in the evenings or at weekends.
If you’re just starting out or don’t have enough players for a full-sized game, you can use smaller pitches to get used to the pace of the game and the rules.
Getting Equipment for American Football
So, you have a team and a place to play and practice. Next, you need to think about equipping yourself and your team. You can find football helmets online, as well as other equipment like balls and uniforms. Youth helmets might work better, as they’re smaller and lighter.
If possible, get used to practicing with the helmets and other gear to start with, as you’re essentially running around with armor on. This will raise your overall fitness and get you used to the kit.
Entering Tournaments
If you’ve been playing for a little while and your team has progressed to a higher level, the next step is to connect with other teams in your area. This allows you to play against different people, meet new people, and potentially enter local tournaments and competitions.
These can be great to further your skills or even win cash prizes if you reach high enough levels.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
