News
For the love of pain
June 14, 2009 By Patrick Finley, Arizona Daily Star
Tackle football games aren't spontaneous.
They take at least 22 players, each of whom has spent probably $500 on equipment. Throw in a field and referees and coaches and playbooks, and the game becomes downright impossible to play without weeks of planning.
Tackle football games in Tucson are about as easy to throw together as a parasailing trip.
Which is to say that Diana Benson's probable last game as a member of the Tucson Monsoon on Saturday night was exactly that.
The Monsoon, a team in the Independent Women's Football League, likely will not make the playoffs despite a 5-3 record. The Monsoon lost 55-0 to the visiting Seattle Majestics at Tucson High School, but it finished with its first winning record in franchise history.
Saturday night marked the final game ever for some; for those planning on returning to the Monsoon next season, it was the last game before a break of several months. While most will turn to another sport during the off-season, they agree nothing quite matches the physical nature of tackle football.
At age 48, Benson's adrenaline rushes come quickly - she is also a captain for the Tucson Fire Department. She played club rugby as a UA student and has been a bodybuilder.
"I think that's enough, don't you?" she said.
Benson, who has played for four seasons, figures she won't get any quicker as the years go by. And how many athletes - male or female - play into their late 40s, anyway?
"I need something that's easier on my joints," she said. "I want to retire being able to walk and stand upright and not be sore."
There's not much that can mimic the violent fun of the squad, now in its fifth season. But Benson, who plays linebacker, cornerback and running back, will try.
She already participates in Crossfit, a militaristic strength and conditioning program. And she plans on riding in El Tour de Tucson in November.
"Will I get the same adrenaline rush?" she said. "It's totally different. I've never done it before. Anything new is what I'm going to go after.
"I'm ready to do something more, endurance-wise."
Tammie Thomas, who turns 45 Monday, is also probably going to retire. An officer with the Tucson Police Department, Thomas wants to spend more time with her 5-year-old son, Zack.
Thomas said she's "too old" to keep playing and was tempted to retire last year, but she wanted her last season to end on a winning note.
"It's an adrenaline thing," she said. "Chasing the bad guy and somebody chasing you when you have the ball."
Players have to be 18 to join the Monsoon. Road trips cost each player about $500 or so in out-of-pocket expenses - though some have found sponsors - all for the giddy privilege of getting tackled.
"During the season when I walk around with all the bruises, I get asked, 'What happened to you? Are you OK?'" said Rebekah Lewis, a 44-year-old nurse. "The people I work with think it's great that I'm pursuing it. Some of the people I work with wish they were younger and could participate. I have some that can't wait until their daughters get old enough to play."
Lewis, a year-round soccer player, said she gets a "competitive rush" from football.
"It's just another outlet for my competitiveness," she said. "It's a great stress reliever. Where else can you hit somebody and not get in trouble?
"But it's very hard on the body. It doesn't matter how fit you are."
Deeanna Landor, a 31-year-old right tackle, said "it's a joy to let go of your frustrations" by playing football.
"I like the break, and I don't like the break," she said. "I want to keep playing year-round and keep in shape. I think it's pretty cool that we can put some pads on and hit some other girls and go out every day and do it."
Then again, a little rest isn't a bad thing - at least until practice and conditioning start back up in December.
Twenty-nine-year-old Deanna Grimstead, a former firefighter who runs four to six miles per day, said she had "no idea" the toll her first year of football would take.
"I don't think anything really compares," she said. "I sleep in on Sundays, and when I get out of bed, every single muscle and joint in my body hurts. It's ridiculous."
Of course, Grimstead can't wait to play again next year.
"It's a good time," she said.
They take at least 22 players, each of whom has spent probably $500 on equipment. Throw in a field and referees and coaches and playbooks, and the game becomes downright impossible to play without weeks of planning.
Tackle football games in Tucson are about as easy to throw together as a parasailing trip.
Which is to say that Diana Benson's probable last game as a member of the Tucson Monsoon on Saturday night was exactly that.
The Monsoon, a team in the Independent Women's Football League, likely will not make the playoffs despite a 5-3 record. The Monsoon lost 55-0 to the visiting Seattle Majestics at Tucson High School, but it finished with its first winning record in franchise history.
Saturday night marked the final game ever for some; for those planning on returning to the Monsoon next season, it was the last game before a break of several months. While most will turn to another sport during the off-season, they agree nothing quite matches the physical nature of tackle football.
At age 48, Benson's adrenaline rushes come quickly - she is also a captain for the Tucson Fire Department. She played club rugby as a UA student and has been a bodybuilder.
"I think that's enough, don't you?" she said.
Benson, who has played for four seasons, figures she won't get any quicker as the years go by. And how many athletes - male or female - play into their late 40s, anyway?
"I need something that's easier on my joints," she said. "I want to retire being able to walk and stand upright and not be sore."
There's not much that can mimic the violent fun of the squad, now in its fifth season. But Benson, who plays linebacker, cornerback and running back, will try.
She already participates in Crossfit, a militaristic strength and conditioning program. And she plans on riding in El Tour de Tucson in November.
"Will I get the same adrenaline rush?" she said. "It's totally different. I've never done it before. Anything new is what I'm going to go after.
"I'm ready to do something more, endurance-wise."
Tammie Thomas, who turns 45 Monday, is also probably going to retire. An officer with the Tucson Police Department, Thomas wants to spend more time with her 5-year-old son, Zack.
Thomas said she's "too old" to keep playing and was tempted to retire last year, but she wanted her last season to end on a winning note.
"It's an adrenaline thing," she said. "Chasing the bad guy and somebody chasing you when you have the ball."
Players have to be 18 to join the Monsoon. Road trips cost each player about $500 or so in out-of-pocket expenses - though some have found sponsors - all for the giddy privilege of getting tackled.
"During the season when I walk around with all the bruises, I get asked, 'What happened to you? Are you OK?'" said Rebekah Lewis, a 44-year-old nurse. "The people I work with think it's great that I'm pursuing it. Some of the people I work with wish they were younger and could participate. I have some that can't wait until their daughters get old enough to play."
Lewis, a year-round soccer player, said she gets a "competitive rush" from football.
"It's just another outlet for my competitiveness," she said. "It's a great stress reliever. Where else can you hit somebody and not get in trouble?
"But it's very hard on the body. It doesn't matter how fit you are."
Deeanna Landor, a 31-year-old right tackle, said "it's a joy to let go of your frustrations" by playing football.
"I like the break, and I don't like the break," she said. "I want to keep playing year-round and keep in shape. I think it's pretty cool that we can put some pads on and hit some other girls and go out every day and do it."
Then again, a little rest isn't a bad thing - at least until practice and conditioning start back up in December.
Twenty-nine-year-old Deanna Grimstead, a former firefighter who runs four to six miles per day, said she had "no idea" the toll her first year of football would take.
"I don't think anything really compares," she said. "I sleep in on Sundays, and when I get out of bed, every single muscle and joint in my body hurts. It's ridiculous."
Of course, Grimstead can't wait to play again next year.
"It's a good time," she said.
