Conversations with the Women of Denver, Team Mile High Club

Merriam Webster: [dy·nas·ty] a succession of people from the same family who play a prominent role in business, politics, or another field.

This word some how seems as if could be an understatement for the women of Denver Gay & Lesbian Flag Football League, and more specifically the players of the Mile High Club (MHC) team.  They have won six straight Gay Bowl Women's Division titles since 2012, and still the only team to win the Women's Division since it started in 2012.  They have won more titles, let alone consecutive, than any other team from any division, and are the most decorated team in Gay Bowl history.  

We decided to see if we could pick their brain around how they do this, and what goes into being in championship form year after year.  

Kelli Garrison, a member of the Mile High Club and an active member of the DGLFFL stated about the training that goes into Gay Bowl preparation, "[We] all do a good job of working out on our own and making sure we are prepared for tournaments – whether it’s weight lifting, hiking, body pump (haha), or playing other sports, we all stay physically active."   

They also have an advantage of training at a 5,280 feet elevation year around, similar to an olympic athlete would to train before the Olympics.  Sarah "Suki" Suchla, the MHC Rusher and the 2017 Defensive MVP of Gay Bowl stated "We practice twice per week when it gets closer to the tournament and will often get together outside of
practice to run routes as well." to further demonstrate the commitment for the Mile High Club team's physical conditioning as well.  She adds, "On a personal level, I know I need to be in top physical condition in order to earn my spot and not let my teammates down."

When asked about what it means to participate in Gay Bowl, and what it means to represent the Denver Community, Jodie Turner, MHC Captain stated "It is an incredible experience to be able to connect with LGBTQ and allied athletes across the country."  

The women of Denver have represented an immense amount of pride, and excitement for the city, and promote both a high level of play as well as a high level of sportsmanship.  MHC Player Jamie Stephens "I'm proud to take the field with MHC each Gay Bowl to represent the city of Denver on a national stage."   The players at MHC challenge themselves to see themselves as role models to the community, and realize the pressure they are on to continue and promote a high level of play. Aszur Rollins, MHC Blocker and 2016-2017 NGFFL Women's Division Representative states "We know we have a target on our back so we want to do everything in our power to put in the work to stay on top."

Indeed, staying at championship form for so long takes an incredible amount of dedication to both the team as well as individual physical conditions.  The women of Denver have not only set the bar high for the rest of the teams across the country, but they continue to set the  expectations higher for themselves.  They continue to strategize about what they could do to improve their plays, and how they can get better as a team.  "The NGFFL and DGLFFL has the opportunity to elevate flag football sport and impact positive change for the LGBTQ community state and nation wide." Jodie Turner shared about the commitment to Flag Football and what it means to represent the community as an LGBT athlete.  Sarah "Suki" Suchla shared "Being part of these groups has made me feel more accepted than ever. And they’ve provided me the opportunity to meet new people, make lasting friendships, feel supported, comfortable, and be myself—all while doing what I love (playing sports)."

Denver also is the second league in the country to have a female Commissioner for their league.  Becky Lee, a member of the MHC team served as the commissioner from 2015-2017, and largely pushed the league to be the national example for men and women to have equal playing grounds for the league.  

DGLFFL has all players, no matter their gender identity play together in one league.  Their league draft structure incorporates their gender balances into its process, and captains pick players based on rounds that consist of genders and experience in order to support every team has equal representation on each team.  This also is a direct contributing element of the MHC's success as well.  Kelli Garrison states "As a team, our biggest training advantage is the DGLFFL.  We play against the men every weekend and they do not take it easy on us."  

Most importantly, the women of MHC know they are part of something special, and have a created a strong friendship, and even a family.  Jodie Turner shared "Going into my 5 year as the Captain it has been an honor to lead such an amazing group of women that I consider not only my friends but my family." Jamie Stephens adds "It’s an honor to take the field with them tournament after tournament. Being a part of MHC has been some of the best years of my life."  Sarah "Suki" Suchla also shares a similar thought "MHC is truly my family here in Denver. These ladies are my closest friends on and off the field. I feel proud and lucky to be able to hang out with these incredible humans."  

It is really clear to all of us at the NGFFL that these Denver women have something magical happening with their team.  Not only from a competitive nature, but from a team and friendship perspective.  they thrive to be better teammates, and better people both on and off the field, and we couldn't possibly be prouder of their success as a team.  They work hard to be representatives of the Flag Football community and represent the larger LGBT athletic community as well.  Aszur Rollins states "LGBT sports to me provides an amazing platform to show others that athletes and gay athletes are the same."

But most importantly, the MHC teams can be summed up with four tiny words that is a MHC Motto.  As the competition heats up at Gay Bowl and regional tournaments across the team, both the MHC Blue and MHC Red team learn to make each other stronger, and continue to push each other to be better than they know they can.  The Red and Blue experience is known as "One Team, One Dream" that celebrates each other's accomplishments, and elevates the experiences both on and off the field.