A Sapphire Series Rookie Diary

Article by Claire Ellis - Images by Iceni Spears staff

 

So despite everything my body has been through in the last 24 hours and that I didn’t make it into bed until gone 2am, my body is still adamant that it won’t let me sleep in past 6am. So here I am sat (a verb used very loosely) on the sofa watching Premier League highlights of games that I had genuinely forgotten were even going on yesterday with a large coffee and snuggled up under a blanket.

My kit bag lying abandoned in the middle of the floor and, as yet, still not unpacked. Every so often a get a strong whiff of something strange. Then I remember that is the Tiger Balm muscle rub that I currently have smothered all over my body. For a thirty-year-old who is not necessarily in the best shape of her life I don’t feel that bad…until I try to move anyway! But none of this matters it’s been an awesome week, so here’s how it went down.

 

Sunday 21^st Feb

Today is our last contact practice before we head off to Sapphire. Things have been ramped up and you can see the trepidation and anxiety in the girls’ eyes. Yet everything is coming together. Cuts are cleaner, catches completed where they were previously slipping through fingers, hits are harder and confidence is building. For me, so is the frustration. 6 weeks ago in my very first contact practice, I went over in a tackle and shredded my ankle. This hurts all the more as it has happened before. I had finally found a sport, and group of people, that I love and the opportunity to play was being snatched away from me. Over the past 6 weeks, I have pushed myself (probably too hard) and have taken part in as much practice as I can, but now I feel good. Rehab has been rapid but my ankle is strong. I know my coaches are protecting me by keeping me side-lined for so much of this final practice session but I can’t help feel helpless and woefully unprepared for what is to come next week. On the positive tilt of things, at least I know I am fully fit for six days’ time, even if I’m not quite sure what I’m letting myself in for!

Tuesday 23^rd Feb

School hall, final walk through. Plays are set. Nerves are ever present but excitement is building.

Friday 26^th Feb

Bag is packed, unpacked, checked, rechecked and repacked, and repeat. Anxiety is exhausting. Still awake at gone 1am and know that I have to be up at 6am. Plays are running endlessly through my head. Feet positon, hand position, adjustments. I know that no amount of mental rehearsal will prepare me for that first snap, block or tackle but it helps to calm the tension I can feel burning in my body. Sleep comes, eventually and fitfully.

Saturday 27^th Feb

6.00am

I wake up to the sounds of my alarm blaring and, for a second, I forget why it is insisting on yelling at me in such a tone at this time on a Saturday morning. Then it dawns on me. Today is Sapphire. No other motivation to get out of bed is needed despite the fuzzy head I have from lack of sleep. I don’t manage breakfast, too much chance of it making a repeat appearance. Meeting with the other girls and coaches, nerves and excitement are palpable and clearly visible in the eyes and mind of everyone there. Our very first competitive contact matches as Iceni Spears, for many of us our first ever competitive contact matches ever, for me included. The initial buzz slowly fades after the first half an hour and an anxious silence fills the bus. People deal with stress and anxiety in different ways. Inane chatter, isolating themselves with headphones in and music blaring, inappropriate jokes or sitting quietly with a very green clammy pallor trying not to puke. Our traditional breakfast stop at Maccy D’s and we’re on the road again. Next stop London.

11.30am

Preparing for a game in the dressing room with the rest of your team really opens your eyes to the people you play with. You get to know them on a whole new level. There is a lot of nakedness, laughter and tears although not strictly in that order. It’s fair to say that the nerves and excitement were evident in the slightly haphazard manner of our preparation. Knickers on inside out, jerseys being put on but pads forgotten, pads being put on back to front (for anyone who has experience of women’s ‘booby’ pads this is especially bizarre!) Even the coaches weren’t immune. The inevitable question of ‘where’s the ball?’ despite it being tucked under their arm, spoke volumes. Issues ironed out and it was nearly time to take to the field.

6.00pm

It’s fair to say that the last 5 or so hours have been a bit of a blur. Despite fighting the urge to puke at the side of the pitch I did manage to pull myself together enough to make the first snap of our first game against London Warriors. Nothing broke, it went as planned and my stomach contents stayed precisely where it was supposed to.

Snap, block, stop, huddle, reset. Suddenly, after days of frantic confusion and thought processes blazing through my brain, my mind was empty except for those simple steps. Snap, block, stop, huddle, reset. For a squad of 12 of whom for half it was our first ever match, playing Warriors was a baptism of fire. Facing a squad with nearly three times as many players and many years more experience was no mean feat. And we felt it. We were beaten, but we learnt. We were flattened, but we got back up. We lost, but we fought.

Every time I set foot on the pitch I was waiting for that first inevitable heavy hit. Blocking was one thing but being tackled and flattened by a rampaging herd of four London Warriors, that was quite another. It happened. Quick reception (I love making receptions in flag and don’t get to do nearly enough of it at Centre in contact for my liking) then turn and run. One Warrior, two, Warriors, three Warriors, four. Smash, bang, wallop and crunch – sounds a little like a new breakfast cereal. Several things went through my head. Keep hold of the ball.

Will my ankle hold up?

Don’t let go of the ball. What’s that ringing in my head?

Don’t bloody let go of the ball. Ouch that’s another elbow in the ribs. Where’s the ball?

Thankfully as I pulled myself together and found myself cushioned quite nicely in a pile of Warriors, as my coach had found earlier in the day, the ball was still under my arm. Relief. And giggles, much to the confusion of the opposition. It was great fun. Let’s do it again. Snap, block, receive, smash, get up, smile, huddle and reset.

My biggest regret from the first game is that we didn’t manage a score. It isn’t a true reflection of the work, dedication and passion poured into it by all the girls on our team. But we moved on. Game number two, barely 15 minutes later. Sandwell Steelers were a new challenge. Again a bigger and more experienced squad. We could have gone in with our heads down and passions dampened but it couldn’t have been further from the truth. Again we battled, fought, and gave it everything we had. It was a game we were always in and scores that were made gave everyone the lift we needed. I have to mention at this point what a pleasure Steelers were to play against. There is something incredible about a sport where you can be aggressively flattened by an opponent in the harshest way possible only to come to on the floor looking up at a smile and a friendly hand helping you up. Playing the game in the way we all want to, an absolute pleasure. Thank you girls. And thank you to Wembley Stallions for being such fabulous hosts.

Despite all the amazing positives from today, we found our 12-woman squad depleted by the final whistle. Three major injuries which will put players out of the next round in two weeks’ time. A quarter of our players down. An unavoidable risk in such a demanding and physical game. As we loaded the bus to return home, one player was already on her way to the hospital with a knee injury, another being carried onto the bus with a twisted ankle and another more than happily sucking on Entonox in the back of the medics’ ambulance – ready for a trip back to Norwich (via the obligatory KFC stop) and a late night visit to A&E. However exhausted, in pain and frustrated we might have been though, smiles, hugs and laughter abound. This is what’s it’s all about. The game we love with the people we love. And my first experience couldn’t have been much better.

At just gone 2am, I finally crawled into bed after returning from A&E and devouring doughnuts in a nice hot bath. Exhausted but proud. Bruised and elated.

Sunday 28^th Feb

So here I am finding myself becoming more and more supine on the sofa as the morning wears on. Nothing could have prepared me for everything that yesterday threw at me. But I know that come two weeks’ time when we take to the field for the next round in Portsmouth I’ll be there with a smile on my face, ready to do it all again with the people I am proud to call my teammates. Until then, my kit bag should probably be unpacked, no one likes a damn muddy clothes after they’ve been sat for three days! This week my bruises will fade and my muscles will return to their normal non-achy state but the joy and exhilaration of this experience will never fade. Now, where’s that hot water bottle?

Sapphire Series Kickoff weekend - Its back and bigger than ever!

The Sapphire Series returns this weekend and its bigger and better than ever before! The popularity of the Women’s game has never been so high, from participation to those watching on the sidelines and in front of the TV.

Image Courtesy of Andy Neale - Whizzyfingers Photography

 

The GB Women’s teams claimed an amazing silver medal performance last summer in the European Championships, which only helped the cause to recruit more player – and in turn more teams.

14 such teams from all around the UK will be fighting it out over the next few weeks, spread over three different competitions. The Top Tier will be a 7v7 format and feature the following teams.

BIRMINGHAM LIONS

DERBY BRAVES

HERTFORDSHIRE TORNADOES

LEEDS CARNEGIE

MANCHESTER TITANS

The next level will consist of 9 teams split over North and South

North Division

CHESTER ROMANS

EAST KILBRIDE PIRATES

EDINBURGH WOLVES

TEESDIE STEELERS

South Division

ICENI SPEARS

LONDON WARRIORS

PORTSMOUTH DESTROYERS

SANDWELL STEELERS

WEMBLEY STALLIONS

 

Each team will host a series of games (except Derby and Sandwell) with all teams playing twice on the day. All games count towards the overall standings after the 4 rounds of games, with the winner of each crowned as their divisions champions.

As said at the top the opening games are this weekend and we have all the details right here of who plays who and where.

ALL GAMES TO BE PLAYED SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27TH

DIVISION 1 – HOST – LEEDS CARNEGIE – Leeds Beckett University, Headingley Campus, Leeds, LS6 3QQ - START AT 3pm APPROX.

DERBY V LEEDS CARNEGIE

BIRMINGHAM V HERTFORDSHIRE

MANCHESTER V BIRMINGHAM

HERTFORDSHIRE V DERBY

LEEDS CARNEGIE V MANCHESTER

 

DIVISION 2 NORTH – HOST – EDNIBURGH WOLVES – Edinburgh, Queensferry RFC, EH30 9JN – START AT 1pm APPROX.

CHESTER V EDNIBURGH

EAST KILBRIDE V TEESIDE

EDINBURGH V EAST KILBRIDE

TEESIDE V CHESTER

 

DIVISION 2 SOUTH – HOST WEMBLEY STALLIONS – LPOSSA, 136 Greenford Road, Sudbury Hill, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3QL – START AT 1pm APPROX.

WEMBLEY V LONDON

LONDON V ICENI

SANDWELL V PORTSMOUTH

PORTSMOUTH V WEMBLEY

ICENI V SANDWELL

 

We will have a full review of the action next week with scores and standings. Can anyone topple the juggernaut that has been the Birmingham Lions? They have a tough first game and that could set the tone for the Series.

 

 

Family defined by an ever growing sense of Football unity

Article by Claire Ellis   -  Images courtesy of Claire Ellis and gw-images.com

 

 

Family is defined by Oxford English Dictionary as - "A group of people related by blood or marriage."

 

However, in life, as with so many other things, it is far more complicated than this. Who do you consider your family? What do they mean to you? If you think carefully about it, many of your arguments would fall down against the standard OED definition.

 

Being involved in and watching as much sport as I do, the dynamics between team members always intrigues me. I love sport and get involved in as much as I can. This almost always takes the form of a team or group activity. The camaraderie and connection between members of a sports team, despite the inevitable conflicts, are clearly evident. As part of that team, you give your all, blood, sweat and tears week in week out to support, protect and be there for the other people in your team. As with all families, you have your petty spats and each member has their own personality, protective big brother, mother hen forever fussing over you, annoying little sister who has more energy than sense and that strange oddball uncle with a filthy sense of humour! But there is a special bond which links you through thick and thin.

 

Although this is not a phenomenon exclusive to sports teams (it is very evident within schools too from my experience) it certainly seems to be an outstanding feature of strong, successful teams. Manchester United's Class of '92 culminating in their famous treble win, the immense success of Team GB at the London Olympics and the 1995 South African World Cup rugby team. They were more than just a group of players working towards the same thing, their connection and bond was unbreakable (bar the odd football boot to the head), they fought for every yard, every pass, with every ounce of effort for each other. It is not only seen on the world stage but on each waterlogged quagmire of a Sunday league pitch, on the dusty basketball courts in the park and on the sandy and bloodstained AstroTurf pitches in each secondary school across the country.  

 

Since having started to play American Football 6 months ago I have been privileged to experience first-hand the incredible and incomparable bonds which develop between players and coaches alike in this unique and unrelenting game. These are relationships which are hard to describe and another level to the connections I have experienced in other sports teams. Inevitably, you very quickly get to know your team when you spend so much time in physical contact with them. Whether tackling, blocking, snapping or (as much of the time) just giving each other a massive cuddle or slap round the helmet, you soon become intimately familiar with people you may only have known a few short weeks.

 

But there is something which runs so much deeper than the physical aspect of the game. Every time you step onto the field whether at practice or in a game you develop a greater respect for yourself, those you play alongside and those who pace the side line. In a game where each position has their very specific role to play, you have to learn to implicitly trust your team. Whether it’s to be in the right place at the right time, make a successful block, place the ball where you need it or make the right call from the side line, you have to trust everyone to do their job for team success.

 

American Football is the ultimate team sport. Mentally, emotionally and physically. There are times when you find yourself drained and exhausted, brought heavily to the floor for the umpteenth time. Times when you’re just not sure whether you can get back up again. But then someone taps you on the shoulder, holds out a hand and pulls you onto your feet. A heartfelt “Good Job” and somehow you’re up and running again.

 

In my experience, this support and connection extends beyond the field too. Your teammates become the people you turn to when you’re having a bad day because somehow they know how to help. There will be laughter and joy, tears and tantrums, epic arguments followed by hilarious team bonding, heartbreak and elation. When you experience all these emotions as a team you can’t fail but bond in a complete and unique way. 

 

I am lucky enough to have found myself one of these incredible teams. An incredible group of players and coaches who all share a passion for the sport we play, and a warm and welcoming consideration for everyone who, like me, randomly finds themselves stumbling blindly into the team. A group of people, different ages, different abilities, different lives. A team. A passion. A family.

 

Family is not defined by your birth. Family is defined by your life, the way you live it and the people that you live it with be it in sport or any other social group. I have untold amounts of time and love for my Football Family, I wouldn’t change them for the world.