Gridiron girls: Reserve, guard servicewomen break barriers

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Mark R. W. Orders-Woempner
  • 434th ARW Public Affairs
GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. --  Whether they're headed down field for a touchdown reception or down range on a deployment, three Indiana military women are creating a level-playing field in all aspects of their lives.

Leslie "Legs" Nance, Jenessa "Mighty" Anderson and Christa "Dirty" Martini are all members of the U.S. military's reserve component, and they all have one more thing in common - they're members of the Indy Crash, a women's professional football team in Indianapolis.

"We have girls from all walks of life - from working professionals to stay-at-home moms," said Nance, a Crash tight end, "We have players from ages 17 to 48 years old."

The team currently has three members active in the Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve and Indiana Army National Guard, and many of the players are military veterans, said Nance, who has two connections with the Air Force Reserve. She currently as both a 445th Aeromedical Staging Squadron first sergeant at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and as a civilian 434th Force Support Squadron human resources specialist at Grissom.

It was at Grissom that the first sergeant got connected with professional football, a sport she had never considered playing.

"One of my teammates, Rachel Smith, is a fitness instructor at the Grissom gym, and she said 'come check it out,'" Nance explained. "I was hooked instantly; I was hooked on the idea I could play a sport that's typically considered a men's sport, but I could play competitively against other women where the other players don't worry about coming full-force at you because they're worried about hurting you."

For Martini, a former Crash player who started playing in 2005 and now serves as a line coach, it was always her desire to take to the field.

"My brother was a football superstar in high school, and growing up I always wanted to play," explained the coach, who joined the Army Reserve in 2010 for similar reasons and now serves with the 221st Ordnance Company in Fort Wayne, Indiana. "And, I always had this desire to be in the military because my brother was in Marine, and I always had that ache.

"When I decided to join the team, my mom was very reluctant and didn't like it at first, but she became very proud of me," she recalled. "It was the same way with the Army."

Martini has also found a unique way to combine both her patriotism and passion for the sport as she often sings the national anthem before games.

"I love doing it because it's such an awesome thing," said Martini. "I started singing it before games as a player, and I've continued as a coach because it's always been important to me."

While the uniforms they wear may be different from field to foxhole, all three players said the coach's singing is far from the only significant crossover between the military and football.

"They're both kind of extreme things," said Anderson, a Crash strong safety and running back who is also a cadet in an Indiana National Guard commissioning program. "Less than half a percent of the population serves in the military and even less play women's football."

Outside of their small membership, she also said both are built on a firm foundation of structure and camaraderie.

"The bond I share with my teammates is comparable with the bond I've developed with my fellow servicemembers on deployments," agreed Nance, who previously served with the 434th Security Forces. "Whether you're in close quarters, in the trenches or on the gridiron, you build bonds that last a lifetime."

"Aside from true family, there's no sense of family like what we have in the military because of the experiences you share, and it's the same as women's football because you grow together," added Martini. "For many of us, it's a brand new thing with people learning through a lot of blood, sweat and tears, and that builds a strong bond."

She added that bond is the key to a successful game-day strategy just as much as it is to a good battle plan.

"You're trying to win a war, and that takes teamwork," the coach explained. "You're only as strong as your weakest person, so you have to make sure never to leave anyone behind."

Another connection between the worlds of service and sports is found in the training and execution of missions.

"The first reception I ever had was against Chicago, which is the number one or two team in the league, and it felt like it was a 40 yard gain when in all actuality it was about seven yards," recalled Nance. "But, it was that thrill of connecting with the ball, even though I was tackled instantly, that told me the last several months of practice had paid off -- I had done my job in that moment, during that play, and it paid off.

"It's the same thing in the military," she continued. "You train and train and train to deploy and do your job, especially as a reservist, so when you're fulfilling your duties, you're getting that same level of satisfaction."

Outside of the benefit of knowing they've done their part, all three reserve component Crash players also said they've benefitted from their military and football experiences as both have broken down barriers.

"I've met people on this team that I probably would have never otherwise crossed paths with," said Nance. "There are different backgrounds and cultures, and just like in the military, to be successful you have to get to know them, where they're coming from, what they're about, what their values are and how it all fits into the team concept."

And, just as women were once excluded from military and combat service, Martini said they are breaking down barriers for females on the field as well.

"We've all heard, 'women don't play football,' but we're changing those perceptions," she continued. "When I step on the field, I'm not a woman -- I'm a football player."

For Anderson, the barriers she broke through the military and football were her own.

"Before I was in either program I was shy, but once I got into them and had to get to know these girls who are more intimidating as football players and Soldiers, it helped me branch out," she said.

"The best thing these do for women is build confidence because they are outside the norm for women to do, and it shows them they can do anything," continued the 5-foot-1-inch running back. "You can't be timid, especially being in the military because you can't be shy to stand up for what you're thinking or what's right, otherwise you'd get ran over."

Another benefit football has brought to the Citizen Airman and Soldiers turned professional players is fitness.

"Even though I had always wanted to join the military, I was really out of shape, but when I started playing football I wanted to get stronger and better and lost enough weight to join the military," recalled Martini. "I don't think I would have ever decided to lose the weight and get healthy had I not played."

Physical fitness is just another connection Nance said she sees between the military and football.

"A lot of our players are in the military or former military, which isn't surprising given that military members are generally physically fit and driven people who want something more from life," she explained.

It's for that exact reason Martini said she loves to coach current and former military members.

"Military and ex-military are so eager to learn, and they respond well to you pushing them," she said. "If you push them, they'll meet that limit every time - when you tell them to jump, they ask you how high."

Unfortunately, there's another similarity between the service and the sport, which is more personal.

"The hardest part of both is sacrificing time from my family," said Nance. "It's not the physical at all, as those bumps and bruises heal."

However, the first sergeant went on to say that her family is proud of all her accomplishments and the key to success has been a strong support system.

"My husband's my number one fan and supporter, even though he doesn't understand football," she said. "He's always told me, 'if there's something you want to do, do it.'"

And, taking those opportunities life provides while not being afraid to fulfill her's desires is a lesson Nance hopes her Airmen learn.

"I want them to seek out those things that open up their eyes," she said. "Whether it's being a part of the honor guard, Airman's council or football team, anytime you go outside your box, there's something you can always bring back to your unit, team or life."