The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) has a team in the Windy City—the Chicago Force. The IWFL is one of a handful of women's professional tackle football leagues. Entering its fourth season and boasting 28 teams nationwide, five of which are in the most populous cities in the U.S., it is one of the oldest and largest. The IWFL is structured in two conferences, east and west and then broken into several divisions. The season runs from March 29 through July 12. The Chicago Force is in the Central Division and will play against Memphis, Oklahoma City, Dallas and Detroit. Call (312) 371-5114 or www.chicagoforcefootball.com .
March 29: Home Game vs. Detroit
April 5: Memphis Maulers - Away Game
April 19: Home Game vs. Dallas Revolution
April 26: Detroit Blaze - Away Game
May 3: Home Game vs. Memphis Maulers
May 17: Home Game vs. OKC Avengers
May 31: Dallas Revolution - Away Game
June 7: OKC Avengers - Away Game
In other football news, The Kelly McGillis Classic XII was held over President's Day weekend and only one Chicago team was there to play. In past years, women from both the north and south sides of the city have put together teams and descended on the island of Key West in hopes of returning victorious in this International Women's Flag Football Tournament.
Chicago Spin Wrecking Crew did their best to represent. For the fourth year in a row this team entered the recreational division and while they didn't clinch the championship, they made it to the playoffs undefeated and two of their players won awards. Shannon Walsh, safety and wide receiver, was named to the Tournament All-Star Team and Angie Keene, defensive line, was the recipient of the Dick Butkis Sportsmanship Award, which is sponsored by the National Sportsmanship Foundation. This award is presented each year to the athlete exhibiting exemplary sportsmanship in tournament play. In addition, Keene was named MVP of the defense and first-year quarterback Lisa Tschaen, who also plays for the Chicago Force, was named MVP of the offense.
On the football front, Garrett Taliaferro, Commissioner of Chicago MSA's Men's Flag Football League, has been meeting with representatives from other leagues across the country as they join efforts to form the National Gay Flag Football Association.
Chicago boasts the largest men's league and surprised many of the other delegates when they informed them that they were actually smaller than CMSA's women league, which may be the largest and oldest women's flag football league in the country.
Surprisingly, San Francisco struggles to find enough gay men to play in their league.
The Association aspires to sponsor a national Gay Super Bowl—similar to the NAGAAA World Series in gay softball. Unlike NAGAAA, which requires league or tournament qualifying, the Gay Super Bowl hopes to remain open to any team. Chicago has been tapped to host Gay Super Bowl IV over Columbus Day weekend in 2004.