10 Questions with...the Keystone Assault
Here at Daddy's Sugar Ball, we are excited to present a new feature "10 Questions with…" that will interview players, executives, and staff from local Central PA sports teams and leagues.
We were very thankful and fortunate to have our first discussion take place with members of the Keystone Assault roster and staff. The Assault are a women’s semi-pro football team in the middle of their inaugural season in the Women’s Football Alliance. As their slogan goes, "Some women follow their dreams, others tackle them".
DSB: The Assault were initially formed from players and coaches who left the Central PA Vipers of the IWFA after disagreements over injuries and competitive balance. What have been some of the biggest struggles getting a new franchise started within a relatively small timeframe?
KA: As a new team in Central PA we faced a lot of challenges. We needed to pull all of our resources together to ensure a solid program could develop. All of the board members brought something to the table and within a couple of months we were able to develop a strong game plan as to what we need to do and when we need to do it by. Also being in Central PA, a lot of us already come from a team with limited players so we faced the challenge of creating two rosters from an already tapped resource. Fortunately we advertised and were able to generate a decent roster size and are able to be competitive in the league we are in. All of the hard work we put in since we decided to form a team has definitely paid off.
DSB: Two weeks ago you traveled to Binghamton and notched your first victory of the season, 34-20. Maybe more importantly though - this was the first ever win by any women’s football team from the Central Pennsylvania area. What does that mean to you?
KA: The win to us is so much more than just a win, especially to some of the veteran players who have been playing for almost four years and being shutout on an average of 50-0 every game. A win is not just a W in the win column; it symbolizes years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. It was just an intense feeling and it was like finally all of our hard work that we put in to form this team then conditioning, classroom, and practice was 100% worth it. It was the commitment of the veterans and their determination to keep coming back year after year never giving up. It was the hard work of the rookies and how far along they come from starting a sport a lot knew nothing about. We look at this season as the turning point in women’s football for Central PA.
DSB: In that same game against Binghamton (who happens to be another new team this year) the attendance was 400-450 fans. What was it like to play in front of a crowd like that? Did it change your expectations for your own home games?
KA: It was intense. There were about 400 fans sitting directly behind us and the vast majority were of course for the Tiger Cats. For the players it was a huge adrenaline rush trying to tune them out and listen to the plays from the quarterback. And trying to prove the fans wrong and score another touchdown whenever they’d start to chant. We just had to keep focused and hope we have the same results at our home games. I think it shows the growing support for women’s football and how far it’s coming along; we’ve never really seen that many fans. And to us having the support of our fans at the game is only going to take the intensity of the game and our playing to another level.
DSB: At this point, how has your roster been filled out? Has it been through mostly word of mouth and the open tryouts held last fall?
KA: For the returning veterans it has been word of mouth. A lot of us got together over the summer for trips and flag football and discussed the possibility of forming our own team. The interesting thing about the Assault is we are owned by the players and staff. We are a kind of for the player and by the player team. So we all talked about what we liked and didn’t like about our other football experiences. We used that with all the decisions we made and that brought back veteran players that had previously given up on the sport because of the negative issues in previous years. As for our rookie group, we’ve generated some by word of mouth, flyers at ice cream stands, radio, and media outlets. It depends on the individual, but we try everything we can to get our name out there and get more people so we can continue to be a competitive team and hopefully win a championship one day.
DSB: With other commitments (work, family, etc.), what kind of practice schedule has the team been able to maintain?
KA: The thing that a lot of people do not realize is that playing football takes a lot of time, commitment and money (if you don’t have team sponsorships). We tried to talk to players and vote on practice days at the beginning of the year to see what worked best with everyone. In the beginning of the year, we had conditioning on the weekends. Then it moved to the classroom on Wednesday nights, and then practices on Friday and Saturdays; and now practices on Wednesday and Friday and games are on Saturday. It is a lot especially having players being single parents, or living as far away as West Virginia, but it is a commitment that needed to be made if we wanted to be able to compete this year. If you don’t have people at practice they don’t learn their assignments and are not prepared for the game. So it’s important to have as many people there as possible. The Friday/Saturday practice gives the out of towners the option of crashing at teammates’ houses that are local so it’s not back and forth constantly.
DSB: In your eyes, what are the keys to the long term success of both the Assault and the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA)?
KA: There are many factors that are going to determine the success of the Assault and the WFA. The league has created a move competitive environment for us to play in. We are matched up against teams that are closer to our size and strength which give our fans some good games to watch. Also, our league’s cost is a lot less than we’ve ever paid in other leagues and that allows us to lower our player costs and generates more interested players.
DSB: You play in the WFA’s Region I (with teams from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Binghamton, and Baltimore)…is there a playoff structure?
KA: There is but we don’t know if it is worked out 100% yet (because of forfeits). We think the playoffs start in July and the championship is in August.
DSB: In the first game of the season, you lost 47-24 to the Philadelphia Liberty Belles…this Saturday you have a rematch with them at home in Enola. What must you do to avenge the earlier loss?
KA: We thought that offensively, we did what we needed to do to win that game. We gave up a few big plays on defense and special teams that really turned the game in their favor. We need to contain their speedy wing backs and play smarter on special teams. If we do that, we can win that game.
DSB: I discovered Karen Swinnerton’s Gridiron Girl blog on PennLive.com; but how has the mainstream media treated your team and the league?
KA: Overall it’s hard to get media attention being a new unproven team…especially in Central PA. We are competing against the Vipers, and the Stampede (the new arena team). Though we have been in the newspaper twice and on the television news once, we could definitely use more coverage to generate a fan base and also get girls interested to tryout next year.
DSB: For many of the players, there wasn’t a previous avenue for playing competitive football. What’s the bigger adrenaline rush - - scoring a touchdown or laying a hit on someone?
KA: It depends who you are. If you’re on offense, it’s setting that lead block or making a hole for your back, or running with the ball. It could be running your route right and getting in the endzone or as a quarterback trying to evade attackers. There are so many aspects of football with each position that it’s hard to pick just one thing that’s a rush. But most of us enjoy laying a hard hit on the other team. That’s one of our things… in past years, we were used to being down by 50-60 points so we just said, "Hey, let’s just go out there and hit someone."
Once again, we here at DSB wish to thank everyone involved with the Assault for their cooperation and willingness to talk with us. We recommend you check out their website and their two remaining home games this season. One of which is a pivotal rematch with the Philadelphia Liberty Belles this Saturday night at East Pennsboro High School in Enola. Kickoff is at 5pm and admission is only $5 and children 11 and under get in for free. If interested in tickets, please contact karen@keystoneassault.com.
Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy’s Sugar Ball...
We were very thankful and fortunate to have our first discussion take place with members of the Keystone Assault roster and staff. The Assault are a women’s semi-pro football team in the middle of their inaugural season in the Women’s Football Alliance. As their slogan goes, "Some women follow their dreams, others tackle them".
DSB: The Assault were initially formed from players and coaches who left the Central PA Vipers of the IWFA after disagreements over injuries and competitive balance. What have been some of the biggest struggles getting a new franchise started within a relatively small timeframe?
KA: As a new team in Central PA we faced a lot of challenges. We needed to pull all of our resources together to ensure a solid program could develop. All of the board members brought something to the table and within a couple of months we were able to develop a strong game plan as to what we need to do and when we need to do it by. Also being in Central PA, a lot of us already come from a team with limited players so we faced the challenge of creating two rosters from an already tapped resource. Fortunately we advertised and were able to generate a decent roster size and are able to be competitive in the league we are in. All of the hard work we put in since we decided to form a team has definitely paid off.
DSB: Two weeks ago you traveled to Binghamton and notched your first victory of the season, 34-20. Maybe more importantly though - this was the first ever win by any women’s football team from the Central Pennsylvania area. What does that mean to you?
KA: The win to us is so much more than just a win, especially to some of the veteran players who have been playing for almost four years and being shutout on an average of 50-0 every game. A win is not just a W in the win column; it symbolizes years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. It was just an intense feeling and it was like finally all of our hard work that we put in to form this team then conditioning, classroom, and practice was 100% worth it. It was the commitment of the veterans and their determination to keep coming back year after year never giving up. It was the hard work of the rookies and how far along they come from starting a sport a lot knew nothing about. We look at this season as the turning point in women’s football for Central PA.
DSB: In that same game against Binghamton (who happens to be another new team this year) the attendance was 400-450 fans. What was it like to play in front of a crowd like that? Did it change your expectations for your own home games?
KA: It was intense. There were about 400 fans sitting directly behind us and the vast majority were of course for the Tiger Cats. For the players it was a huge adrenaline rush trying to tune them out and listen to the plays from the quarterback. And trying to prove the fans wrong and score another touchdown whenever they’d start to chant. We just had to keep focused and hope we have the same results at our home games. I think it shows the growing support for women’s football and how far it’s coming along; we’ve never really seen that many fans. And to us having the support of our fans at the game is only going to take the intensity of the game and our playing to another level.
DSB: At this point, how has your roster been filled out? Has it been through mostly word of mouth and the open tryouts held last fall?
KA: For the returning veterans it has been word of mouth. A lot of us got together over the summer for trips and flag football and discussed the possibility of forming our own team. The interesting thing about the Assault is we are owned by the players and staff. We are a kind of for the player and by the player team. So we all talked about what we liked and didn’t like about our other football experiences. We used that with all the decisions we made and that brought back veteran players that had previously given up on the sport because of the negative issues in previous years. As for our rookie group, we’ve generated some by word of mouth, flyers at ice cream stands, radio, and media outlets. It depends on the individual, but we try everything we can to get our name out there and get more people so we can continue to be a competitive team and hopefully win a championship one day.
DSB: With other commitments (work, family, etc.), what kind of practice schedule has the team been able to maintain?
KA: The thing that a lot of people do not realize is that playing football takes a lot of time, commitment and money (if you don’t have team sponsorships). We tried to talk to players and vote on practice days at the beginning of the year to see what worked best with everyone. In the beginning of the year, we had conditioning on the weekends. Then it moved to the classroom on Wednesday nights, and then practices on Friday and Saturdays; and now practices on Wednesday and Friday and games are on Saturday. It is a lot especially having players being single parents, or living as far away as West Virginia, but it is a commitment that needed to be made if we wanted to be able to compete this year. If you don’t have people at practice they don’t learn their assignments and are not prepared for the game. So it’s important to have as many people there as possible. The Friday/Saturday practice gives the out of towners the option of crashing at teammates’ houses that are local so it’s not back and forth constantly.
DSB: In your eyes, what are the keys to the long term success of both the Assault and the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA)?
KA: There are many factors that are going to determine the success of the Assault and the WFA. The league has created a move competitive environment for us to play in. We are matched up against teams that are closer to our size and strength which give our fans some good games to watch. Also, our league’s cost is a lot less than we’ve ever paid in other leagues and that allows us to lower our player costs and generates more interested players.
DSB: You play in the WFA’s Region I (with teams from New Jersey, Philadelphia, Binghamton, and Baltimore)…is there a playoff structure?
KA: There is but we don’t know if it is worked out 100% yet (because of forfeits). We think the playoffs start in July and the championship is in August.
DSB: In the first game of the season, you lost 47-24 to the Philadelphia Liberty Belles…this Saturday you have a rematch with them at home in Enola. What must you do to avenge the earlier loss?
KA: We thought that offensively, we did what we needed to do to win that game. We gave up a few big plays on defense and special teams that really turned the game in their favor. We need to contain their speedy wing backs and play smarter on special teams. If we do that, we can win that game.
DSB: I discovered Karen Swinnerton’s Gridiron Girl blog on PennLive.com; but how has the mainstream media treated your team and the league?
KA: Overall it’s hard to get media attention being a new unproven team…especially in Central PA. We are competing against the Vipers, and the Stampede (the new arena team). Though we have been in the newspaper twice and on the television news once, we could definitely use more coverage to generate a fan base and also get girls interested to tryout next year.
DSB: For many of the players, there wasn’t a previous avenue for playing competitive football. What’s the bigger adrenaline rush - - scoring a touchdown or laying a hit on someone?
KA: It depends who you are. If you’re on offense, it’s setting that lead block or making a hole for your back, or running with the ball. It could be running your route right and getting in the endzone or as a quarterback trying to evade attackers. There are so many aspects of football with each position that it’s hard to pick just one thing that’s a rush. But most of us enjoy laying a hard hit on the other team. That’s one of our things… in past years, we were used to being down by 50-60 points so we just said, "Hey, let’s just go out there and hit someone."
Once again, we here at DSB wish to thank everyone involved with the Assault for their cooperation and willingness to talk with us. We recommend you check out their website and their two remaining home games this season. One of which is a pivotal rematch with the Philadelphia Liberty Belles this Saturday night at East Pennsboro High School in Enola. Kickoff is at 5pm and admission is only $5 and children 11 and under get in for free. If interested in tickets, please contact karen@keystoneassault.com.
Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy’s Sugar Ball...
Posted by Max Power at 5/14/2009 2:00 AM 
Categories: 10 Questions with
Tags: Enola football Keystone Assault Central Pennsylvania WFA Philadelphia Liberty Belles
Categories: 10 Questions with
Tags: Enola football Keystone Assault Central Pennsylvania WFA Philadelphia Liberty Belles
Wow! Awesome, awesome interview! It was legen ... wait for it ... DARY!
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THE GIRLS ON THIS TEAM ROCK!
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