MILWAUKIE, Ore. — On a cool, damp evening at Milwaukie High School, the Oregon Ravens took over the football field.
The team is part of the Women's National Football Conference — 16 teams divided into divisions scattered across the country.
More than half of the 55 players on the team are playing football for the first time. That includes players like Kelly Schaeffer who is an English teacher at Willamette Connections Academy, who will play receiver and defensive back. She grew up in Milwaukie and played 5 years of flag football — some of it on this very field.
Schaeffer still lives in Milwaukie with her husband and two sons. Tackle football is something she always wanted to try.
“First, it's a fun game. It's helping me refine my skills as a parent and teacher and as a human being,” said Schaefer.
Quarterback Danny Trainor is one of the veterans. Trainor was part of the team last season. She played tackle football with boys in the third to seventh grade — but, she said, playing on a women's team is special.
“I’ve never felt this kind of love before from a team. Playing with boys it was a little different, so coming and playing with women is nothing but love and encouragement. That brought me back to playing,” said Trainor.
Ravens head coach Tim Price is a veteran coach who doubles as the head coach at Milwaukie High School. He calls this team an interesting group with a strong desire to learn the game.
“Football is football no matter if it’s a woman playing or a man playing," Price said during a break in practice. "They just want to be out there doing the best they can."
For Schaeffer, it’s about a lot more than playing football.
“This whole experience has been empowering — the way my sons look at me, the way some of my students are dreaming and imagining things they never thought possible before, I never could have predicted this was going to come along with playing football," she said. "It's more than football, it's an experience, it's empowerment, and I think everyone deserves to feel this way; especially young ladies, especially young girls.”
The Oregon Ravens play their first home game of the season on Saturday, April 8 at Milwaukie High School. You can follow the team at oregonravens.com.