Tacoma Trauma Women's Tackle Football
Former Seattle Majestic's
Players Bring Women's Football Back to Tacoma
When the Majestic's moved to Seattle,
some south-enders felt a desire to return home with a team
of their own. The Trauma has been born and the women,
many who have 8 years under their belt of playing in the
IWFL are putting in work in preparation for the 2012 season.
And part of that preparation involved enlisting one of the
Northwest's no-nonsense coaches to help lay the groundwork.
Working as an advisor during the past month, former South
Sound Shocker Head Coach Steve Matychowiak organized
practices and skills sessions. "I was tentative about
it at first because I've always worked with men and had an
expectation of a certain skill set already in place.
What I found was a group of women eager to learn the game
and do what is asked of them without questioning it.
That was very refreshing. No egos, no attitudes
towards the coaches, just football." (Matychowiak).
Matychowiak called on the expertise of
some of his elder Shocker statesmen as assistants during the
"camp-like" workout sessions. David Gomez and Greg
Kinnunen, offensive linemen with the Shockers well into
their 40's, offered up drill running assistance and session
planning to give the Trauma a crash course in schemes and
techniques.
Matychowiak, who has other family and
work commitments will not coach the Trauma during their
season, however Gomez and Kinnunen are considering taking a
first step into coaching Women's football.
Follow the Trauma on their
Facebook Page as their
Website it being built. for
updates and information.
_____________________________________________________________
GNFA Champion Bears to Take
2012 Season Off
Are "National" Bowl Games
Kiss of Death?
After winning a hard-fought PFL
Championship in 2011, Kitsap County Bears staff has
announced a year off from competition. For the staff
and coaches, it could be a welcome break from the rigors of
year-around football, but for the players, it will be
decision time as other coaches vie for their services and
plans to retain them to those teams once the Bears
return...."if" they return. And if they do, will the
players return or will Kitsap recruit new blood?
Over the past decade, a few Northwest
teams have ventured down the path of traveling across the
country for "National" competition only to run into such
situations as financial troubles, management changes, or
internal strife, that required a "year off" or resulted in
the team folding up completely or faring on the sub-par end
of the spectrum the following season. A few examples
of the mythical "National Championship" Chase Bug:
2002 Puget Sound Jets travel to
Florida, defeat St. Petersburg Sharks - no 2003 season
2004 Eastside Hawks travel to Florida,
defeat Central Penn - no 2005 outdoor season*
2006 King County Jaguars travel to San
Fran, lost to Bay Ticket 49ers - by 2008 6-16 in final 22
games
2008 Puget Sound Titans travel to Las
Vegas, defeat Mile High - no 2009 season
2009 Renton Ravens travel to Las Vegas,
defeat LV Demolition - 13-14 the next two seasons
2010 Seattle Stallions travel to Las
Vegas, defeat Buccaneers - announce no 2011 season
2010 Tacoma Invaders travel to Las
Vegas, lost to LV Titans - 3-7 in 2011
2010 Bellingham Bulldogs travel to
South Carolina, lose to Nashville Storm - 3-8 in 2011
2011 Kitsap Bears travel to Las Vegas,
lose to Pacifica Islanders - announce no 2012 season
* The Eastside Hawks, it should be
noted, were moved indoors by owner Sam Adams, for a brief
stint before being folded up after massive financial losses.
One of the few modern teams to survive,
the "National Chase", has been the Portland Monarchs.
Thus far the Monarchs have traveled to Las Vegas in 2009 and
2010 losing both games, but still going the past three
seasons with only one loss to Northwest opponents.
This harkens back to the Auburn Panthers traveling to San
Jose two consecutive years, however the Panthers won both
outings in one of the most dominant runs in history.
Can the Monarchs ascend to dominance once again, or has
their time passed? Is it time for a new team to rise,
only to chase a financially unfeasible outing that is
destined to doom the team in the long run?
