Where Have All The Sirens Gone? by Julie Wicher, Sirens Half Back Perspectives Editorial Volume 3, Issue 1 October 5, 2003 Three months down, three months to go. We are in the middle of our off-season, at least that’s what they call it. Although we are not holding practice or playing in games I don’t think there are many of us that have been able to get completely away from Sirens football in one form or another. There are many of us that continue to work out whether it be at the gym, at a park or at home, individually or with a group. Off-season training is important to maintain your strength and stamina. For me, after the championship game in New York in July, I decided to take a month off. I told myself I was not going to work out, I was going to eat whatever I wanted, drink whatever I wanted and feel happy about being completely lazy. It is amazing how long it takes to get in shape and how quickly you can get out of it. After only two weeks my clothes were much tighter than before and I decided that was enough of that. I went to the gym and couldn’t believe how quickly I got tired! I knew that taking time off was important to allow my body to heal from months of constant pounding yet I wanted to hit myself for loosing the fitness which had taken months to achieve. Another off-season “obligation” is fundraising and charity events. It’s no surprise that our trip to New York was a once in a lifetime opportunity yet has left us with a lot of bills to pay. We also need to look towards the future and realize that things will never be free and we will need money to keep the team running in the seasons that lie ahead. The end of the summer and the months to come consist of numerous car washes, dinners, volunteer work and appearances, clinics and charity walks. Some of these can be very rewarding mentally and emotionally while others (although grueling and frustrating) are very rewarding financially. We were given the opportunity to work concessions at the Sacramento Kings basketball games to raise money for our team. We are working at 14 games and there has to be a minimum of 30 of us to make the job profitable. It seems like a pretty good deal, we have been told we can make up to $1,500 a game which would really add up. It’s interesting, we are professional female football players and they are professional male basketball players. 30 make a max of $1,500 (total) to work at a concession stand for a couple hours while each one of them gets paid millions of dollars to play ball for a couple of hours. We will get yelled at because there is not enough cheese on the nachos, they will get yelled at because they missed a free-throw. They play in front of thousands of people in the stands and millions of people on TV, we play mainly for family and friends. Does this seem comparable or fair? Of course not, but then again life is never fair and that is not the reason I do this anyway. None of us play for recognition or money, fortune or fame. I play because I love the game and I love the people on my team. I don’t expect to be recognized when I’m walking down the street or working out at the gym or pouring someone a soda at a Kings game. So where have all the Sirens gone? We’re all still here, living our everyday lives and looking forward to the next season. Perspectives Archives