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CANTONMannon Garcia and his family drove nearly 1,600 miles to watch their sister compete for the title of football.
Her sister, Gerilynn Curley, in her fifth season at Arizona OutKasts, formerly Phoenix PhantomZ, played in the Division III championship on Friday at the Women’s Football Association.
Preview:The Women’s Football Association championships arrive in Canton
The Women’s Football Association will play an American game and three championship matches on Friday and Saturday at Tom Benson’s Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.
The games will remain in Canton for another four years.
Garcia made a trip to Benson Stadium in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to support his sister and women in sports.
The OutKast lost the title 30-20 in the Derby City Dynamite game in Kentucky.
“I think women are informal and strong,” Garcia said after the game. “I think every person, male or female, should have the opportunity to play (football).”
From Boston to Phoenix, they came to Canton
Other matches were Nevada Stormand in Detroit Dark Angels Division II and Boston Renegades, as well as Minnesota Vixen Division I.
So many other fans like Garcia traveled far from Stark County to watch their favorite women’s team race. They were greeted in part by a sunny sky and warm temperatures.
The Embry family delayed their vacation in Florida for a day and drove five hours north of Kentucky to watch Angela Embry Jr., linebacker and backback Dynamite, play in Division III.
“I think women play harder than men,” Embry’s 17-year-old brother Evan said when asked about the difference between women’s and men’s football games.
Clifford Butler, a friend of Embry who energizes the audience with cowbells and a megaphone, described women’s football as “team sports meant to be”.
He said the players are group-centric and “everyone works hard” for the team’s success.
A decent lottery for summer football
In mid-summer football, where there are no local ties, the attendance was still relatively decent. Hundreds of fans supporting the teams bought tickets and encouraged their favorite teams.
“It’s always great to see people from all over the country,” said trainer and former player Jennifer Mabee, who came to Canton from Fort Wayne, India with a friend to watch the championships.
Mabee said women are not paid for participation and often pay their own expenses. The league and some teams have sponsors, but it fades compared to the NFL or other men’s leagues.
“We support ourselves,” Mabee said.
So why play if financial risk exists? Mabee said he and other past and present players played the game out of love and friendship. To him, the team was like “family.”
“My best friends are former teammates,” he said.
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or [email protected]
Follow on Twitter @bduerREP
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