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Last Tuesday Natalie Randolph became the only female that coaches a men's varsity high school football team in the United States.
She isn't the first woman ever hired to coach a men's varsity football team; she just happens to be the only female employed in that position in the United States today. Randolph also managed to accomplish this feat in Washington D.C. The last time the D.C. public school system hired a woman as the head coach of a men's varsity football team was 1985. Wanda Oates lasted one day at Ballou High. Natalie Randolph has already made it six times as long as head coach of the Coolidge Colts.
Randolph is 29 years old, and according to everything I have read about her she isn't going to crack anytime soon. This is a woman who played wide receiver for four years with the D.C. Divas. Natalie knows football as a player and as a coach, she was also an assistant coach at D.C.'s H.D. Woodson High School for two years.
For those of you who don't live around here, NFL quarterback Byron Leftwich went to Woodson.
During the her press conference Natalie Randolph tried to play down the importance of her gender. She said she was excited because she loved teaching and she loved football. She was just thrilled to be working with wonderful student athletes.
Then Mayor Fenti declared March 12, 2010 Natalie Randolph Day in Washington D.C.
Ms. Randolph can be as humble as she likes. The rest of us know that this is a big, big deal.
As Sophia from Women Undefined says:
Congratulations to Ms. Randolph and thank you to Calvin Coolidge Athletic Department who indubitably hired the most qualified candidate regardless of gender.
And it does matter. It matters because it rarely happens. It matters because it is getting press. It matters because there are global feminist bloggers who didn't even know that the Independent Women's Football League existed until The Washington Post wrote the story about Randolph.
Erin from Gender Across Borders wrote:
Though I'm not a huge football fan, this news is exciting to me for several reasons. First of all, there's always cause for celebration when a dedicated woman shatters a glass ceiling... I had no idea that professional women's football leagues existed—I have heard of club teams, but didn't know that women’s football is apparently faring better than women's soccer did on a professional level (though I just discovered women’s pro soccer is making a comeback). Now I hope to catch one of the D.C. Divas' games this season.
See, Natalie? This transcends a normal promotion. This raises the level of awareness.
This is important.
And while this viewpoint is completely valid:
Allow me to be the among the first to say, "Well it's about damn time!"
Hopefully she'll be given a chance to actually do her job ... as in not getting canned if the team doesn't win a state championship after the first year. Either way, these chicks are proud of you, Natalie! Now we can only wonder if and when the NFL will ever decide to leap out of the Middle Ages...
As a feminist and a football fan I couldn't me more excited. Good luck, Natalie. I know you will make us all proud.
BlogHer Contributing Editor, Sarah Sports and Fitness can also be found at Sarah and the Goon Squad, Draft Day Suit
