So, when my husband and I were asked to play coed flag football through Circle City Athletics - it was GAME ON! Now, I have never played organized flag football before and frankly, wasn't even sure if I could catch or throw a football. I only knew that I would work my butt off to contribute to the team AND have a blast doing it!
Circle City Athletics Sports and Social Club is an Indianapolis locally owned and operated adult intramural sports league offering a variety of sports for every level of play. The sports include flag football, volleyball, soccer, kickball, dodgeball, putt putt golf, bowling and more. Various sports are played throughout the year at levels including beginner, recreational, intermediate or competitive.
We are playing in the beginner, summer, coed flag football league right now though for a beginner level, it is still super competitive. Our team name is the Screamin' Cheetahs! Each team in the league plays 1 game per week either 7, 8 or 9 pm at Park Tudor High School. We just finished our 4th of 6 regular season games on Wednesday. Following the regular season, every team plays in a single elimination playoff. The rules are 3 girls, 5 guys on the field at all times and a girl has to touch or attempt a touch every 3rd play.
Prior to our first game, my husband had to teach me quite a bit about throwing and catching. We play with a full-sized football and my hands are small so I struggle(d) with throwing. I wasn't as good at catching as I would have liked to have been either, but my nightly practice in the backyard with my husband really paid off! I am definitely no Reggie Wayne, but practice makes perfect, right! I was in pretty good cardio shape and can be pretty quick, so I wasn't too worried about defense - I was always a defensive specialist while playing basketball, so I had that under control. After learning a few routes and talking strategy with my team ... I was ready to hit the field!
As I said before, my competitive spirit takes over while playing any sport. I have caught a few balls, a touchdown pass, a 2-point conversion and kicked booty on defense. I am glad to know I still have IT on defense. My first game, I defended a pretty quick chick, and she never once got the ball! The games are fast-paced and extremely competitive. There is a good amount of incidental contact, but it's all in good fun. The two 19 minute halves and 2 minute halftime seem to fly by.
Our record in unfortunately 1-3 ... yea, I KNOW, that isn't a great record, but we have put up valiant attempts every game. No one likes losing, especially me, but I am cutting us a bit of slack considering no one on our team had ever played before! We will use this season as a learning experience - some of the teams in the league have been playing for 9 years together!
Check out my diving catch from game #4!
It has been so fun to attempt a new sport, push myself to learn new skills and make a few friends in the process. Our team is made up of several good athletes and good people, some that I may play other sports with in the future ... I have a lead on a kick ball team for the fall that needs a player!
Besides the fact that I can certainly tell I am not as young, fast or resilient as I once was, I have proved myself to be an asset to the team which is important to me ... I might have slightly injured my ankle, pulled a hamstring and felt a few aches over the past 4 weeks but who's keeping track! My husband, on the other hand, is somehow still getting better with age. He is so quick, has an incredible vertical and is a real dominant player - he had 4 touchdowns in our last game! I'm jealous but impressed!
I can't express how much I enjoy playing sports with my hubby - a husband and wife working together to kick some booty = perfection to me!
City City Athletics would be a good option to look in to if you are interested in playing organized sports. They offer a number of sports and everyone seems to really have fun with it! Many of the athletes play on multiple teams and play multiple sports. Each team is awarded a free pitcher of beer at a local bar to use the night of their game which really promotes the social aspect of the league.
I look forward to finishing off this season with a few more wins, but more importantly, I am happy I am able to satisfy my competitive nature with a little flag football action!
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