IN THE HUDDLE

 

By Erin Throneberry

 

November 1, 2007 - When I began this quest over a year ago, it was as a friend of a prospective player and one of the team’s biggest fans.  I followed them everywhere they played last year.  This year I am still a friend of the same player, a big fan, and now I have the job of the team’s staff writer.

 

Last year I knew only a few players on the team, this year, I am part of the team.  When the year started and I was asked to do some writing, I went to practice and sat and took notes while watching.  During a cold and breezy practice last weekend I not only took notes but walked around practice talking and joking with the players.  It is an overwhelming feeling to be a part of something so big.  It’s exciting to be considered part of a team and do the things I love: football, writing, and talking.  I did not play sports in high school.  I was a “band geek-flag corps member” during football season and a cheerleader.  I feel a part of something that is bigger than just me and means something more than just writing.  I am part of an exciting, up and coming premier-level team.

 

A week ago I finally made it back to a practice-Monday night at Bowen Field House on the campus of Eastern Michigan University.  I graduated from Eastern and watched the Hurons (now nick-named the Eagles) play at Bowen before EMU built the Convocation Center.  Stepping into the Field House brought back memories of being in college.  It was at this practice the joke to get me into a uniform started.  With only four women at practice I could have gone out and caught a couple passes from Jen and not been any worse for wear, but I wasn’t in the proper attire.  Next practice I just might have a little fun and catch a couple to better understand those about whom I write.

 

I hadn’t been at a Sunday practice in almost a month and what I recently saw shocked me – I saw a football team practicing! Gone were women who were athletic but awkward playing and learning how to play football.  I saw fluid movements and a team working as a team, moving as a team, blocking as a team.  I saw a lot of new faces working with veterans leading the way.  We have athletes.  In the spring all of this conditioning and the work outs will pay off, these ladies will be able to move mountains and run around the world without stopping to catch their collective breath.

 

Welcome back to Denise Thompson! She has been cleared by her doctor to slowly start working out again after five months of recovering from surgery to mend the ankle she broke in the first quarter of last season’s second game.  Also, a note of congratulations to Daneé Moore for being voted Spitfire player of the month; enjoy your rare steak at Outback!

 

Finally, ladies, we have the opportunity to raise money.  Talk to Sarah, get some tickets, and sell, Sell, SELL! If we all sell just a little on our own and at the targeted football games, we can make some cash to help defer the team’s operating costs.

 

You look great, team.  Keep up the hard work!

 

SPITFIRE!