The WNBA

An important, though perhaps little known, aspect of my personal formation is football. In some ways, its not incorrect to say that the sport is in my blood. My grandfather was a bit of a football star at Cal and was drafted by the Chicago Bears before WWII. All his sons, including my dad, played football in high school and college. My dad went on to coach it at the high school level. Thus, my earliest memories of my dad are going to watch him coach on a hot afternoon. Even though he retired from coaching when I was still little, as a high school teacher he was obligated to 'chaperone' a certain number of the games each year. So, many Friday nights throughout my childhood were spent as his high school's football games. I mostly liked it because it was fun to be in the cold nighttime air, and I liked to watch the band and the cheerleaders. But as I got older I learned it was a good way for me to connect with my dad - by asking him questions about the game and the players. A ballerina to the core, I didn't have an athletic bone in my body. So, this was a way for me to try to learn about my father and understand him in a different way.

In addition to the Friday night football, all day Sunday the TV in our family room was dedicated whatever football games were on. And sometimes, dad would set up a second TV so that he could watch 2 games simultaneously. And this was non-negotiable. I truly feel as though I grew up with football, and thus it's the sport that I know the best and the one that I have always been the most interested in - even though I went to a college that didn't have a football team.

But my college had a top-ranked dance program and an excellent Women's Studies department! Indeed, it was during college that the WNBA came into existence. I could have cared less about the game of basketball, but the principle of it - women's professional sports, seemed like something I should support, and the fact that Sacramento - my home city - was getting a team made that easier to do. So, in the inaugural season, I went to a game with my sisters - and was hooked. Tickets were cheap and the game itself wasn't great (I don't think the Monarchs lost by less than 20 points in any game that year), but seeing women out there playing made a huge impact on us. We went to several games and spent time learning about the players, reading the sports section of the paper (imagine that!). I've been a dye-hard Monarchs - and WNBA fan - ever since.

I appreciate the athleticism, and the way the women play, and watching them improve over the years. Being disgusted by the nay-sayers and defending their abilities has become second nature. I've watched the Monarchs play in every place that I've lived - in person in Florida and Connecticut - and my enthusiasm has never waivered. When they won the championship in 2005, I could barely breathe. I paced my condo, barely able to watch; texting furiously with my sisters who were at the game (I was in San Diego), not wanting to get my hopes up until that final buzzer sounded. It was amazing!

I married a hockey player and have had to learn the ins and outs of that sport. And yes, he has learned to love the WNBA. My sister married a baseball player, and he has - grudgingly - come to appreciate the WNBA as well and was there when they won the championship. Now that we have a son I am even more grateful that the WNBA exists. Intitially, I supported it because of the expanded opportunities it held for women. Now, I'm so thankful that my son will grow up believeing it is perfectly normal for BOTH men and women to play professional sports. That is just as important a lesson - a reality - as it is for little girls to have aspirations to be anything they want to be when they grow up. It means a lot to me that some of his earliest memories may be of rooting for the women of the WNBA, and I'll be interested to see how that influences him in the future.

For now, the Monarchs are still alive in the playoffs so I say: Gooooooo Monarchs!!!!