By Karen Hart
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, April 23, 2006; M03
Unless you are a cult fan of the 1983 movie "Quarterback Princess," football, with all of its hard hitting and trash talking, is still considered a man's sport. But don't tell that to the ladies of the D.C. Divas. The members of Washington's professional women's football team -- which played its first game of the season yesterday against the Baltimore Burn -- are out to bridge the gender gap and show that women have the talent, the moves and even the flamboyant touchdown dances to rival the men's game.
"Playing professional football was a childhood dream of mine," says Donna Wilkinson, 31, the team's linebacker and running back and a member of the Divas since the team's founding in 2001. "At 5, I remember looking at my grandfather and saying to him, 'I want to be big like you so I can play football.' I'd run around with the neighborhood kids and play with them, but I really longed to put the pads on and hit someone."
Though she received a softball scholarship and became a five-sport athlete at Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, Wilkinson's passion for tackle football remained. "After college I started playing flag football, but it didn't satisfy that urge," she recalls. "Word came that a new league was forming and establishing a team in this area."
Wilkinson made the team and debuted as a defensive end and fullback. Now, as she's going into her sixth season, the 5-10 165-pounder known as "The Animal" says she's having the time of her life.
"The early years were tough," says Wilkinson. "But we learned a lot and stayed together as a team and today we're one of the premier teams in women's tackle football. We are the real thing."
Women's pro football is much the same as men's. The teams play largely by NFL rules but use a smaller ball. There are 31 teams playing this year in the National Women's Football Association, with two expansion squads in California as the league develops its West Coast Division. The Divas -- who are 26 and 4 for the past three seasons and are coming off two undefeated regular seasons -- play eight games, followed by playoffs that culminate in a championship game. The team practices three evenings a week and plays its home games on Saturday nights at 7 p.m. at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex, which is adjacent to FedEx Field in Landover.
Similarities with the NFL, however, don't extend to big paydays. The players make a percentage of ticket sales and sponsorships, but have no fixed salaries -- yet. Still, there are fringe benefits. A wellness consultant by day, Wilkinson thinks her status as a football player has helped her in that job. "My business partners absolutely love the fact that I am a professional athlete," she says. "The more I use my success to inspire and uplift others, the greater the impact that I can have."
Perhaps the biggest impact so far for the Divas was the game the team played in front of 8,200 fans at "The Turkey Bowl" in 2004. Local radio personalities the Sports Junkies, challenged the Divas to an all-out no-holds-barred, tackle football game. Leading up to game day, quite a bit of on-air smack-talking ensued. The game was intense and closely fought until an interception in the fourth quarter put the men ahead for good. Despite the loss, Wilkinson and her teammates held their heads high.
"We played hard and worked through the size disadvantage to gain the respect of a group of men that didn't think women could play football," Wilkinson says. "Respect was our ultimate victory."
Tryouts for next year's team will be in the fall. Women interested in joining can visit http://www.dcdivas.com.