Athlete Ally One Pager

Joe Cooper of Denver!

What has been the most encouraging NGFFL advancement since you came out to play? 

This one is easy since I live in Denver, and that's the inclusion of women in the growth and competition of the NGFFL.  I was lucky enough to play a role in adding a Women's Division to Gay Bowl back in 2012, and it's one of the most important things I've ever supported.  At the time, it was met with mixed feelings nationally because let's face it, the men and women of the broader LGBT community don't often intermingle or support each other the way we should. But here in Denver, things are different, and I like to think that the founding of the DGLFFL as a fully co-ed league from the very beginning is a big reason why. Now I see women's teams forming and growing in so many NGFFL cities, and I'm hopeful that this growth means that players in other cities are getting to enjoy the benefits, personally and on the field, of getting to play with their badass ladies like we do every weekend.

Do you have any advice for new players? 

My biggest piece of advice is around volunteering their time and energy.  You don't have to be a superstar player, know everyone, or have been a leader before to contribute to the success and growth of your local league, and/or the NGFFL.  None of this exists without the energy and ideas of volunteers, and I promise that you will get more back than you put in. So please, if you love playing this game and meeting great people, step up and do your part. Be a positive addition to your flag football community, not a negative drain that complains without working for change.  One of the coolest things is when you see someone new join up that has never thrown a football before, or maybe has always been too afraid to compete in team sports, but then they come play and find their place in our community, and it feels good knowing you helped make that possible.  So show up, help out, and let's share the sport we love.

Team Swift, Team Perry or Queen Bey – and why?

Totally Team Kelly (Clarkson)!  She gives everything she has to her music and her life, she embraces her imperfections, and she is always laughing and smiling. Despite her success, she's normal and could join me and my best friends for a night out and we wouldn't miss a beat. Love me some Kelly!  

Chris Cormier of Washington D.C.!

What does being a Hall of Famer mean to you?

I didn't play sports growing up so it is a humbling and surreal honor to be recognized for my contributions to the NGFFL and included with such talented athletes. Being a Hall of Famer also means I commit to being - and get to be - in the NGFFL family for years and hopefully decades to come.

What made you decide to “come out and play” in the NGFFL?

In the spring of 2005, I was living in NYC and read an article about this guy Cyd Zeigler starting a gay football league. I was curious about what a league of gay athletes might be like, and figured this might be a supportive space to try a team sport. The first game was around the corner from my apartment in Hell's Kitchen so I went out with my (straight) roommate, Rajeev. They needed one more guy to play on the Black/Eagle team so Rajeev left and I stayed. Thirteen years later, the NGFFL has been one of the best things that I've gotten to be a part of in my life.

What is your favorite NGFFL memory so far?

The Gay Bowl XVI Closing Party at the Howard Theatre after a successful tournament. Looking at the crowd and seeing a celebratory, accomplished, diverse family of athletes made the 18 months of work co-chairing Gay Bowl all worth it.  

How did the NGFFL make you feel included in the sports community?

I didn't play team sports growing up so the NGFFL created a space where I could not only try playing football, but also learn to be an out and proud athlete. The DC Gay Flag Football League's motto is "get off the bench, get in the game" and that sense of encouragement and inclusiveness has been critical to our success. If you're a novice or  D1 athlete, you belong.

Given the mission/vision of NGFFL: “To proudly foster community, camaraderie, and inclusivity by providing opportunities to engage in competition through flag football” – how do you plan to use your new moniker as Hall of Famer to embody this mission/vision?

I hope to serve as a resource for team leaders and league cities, especially those newly formed and those hoping to host Gay Bowl, to ensure that the NGFFL grows stronger with each year and tournament.

What has been the most encouraging NGFFL advancement since you came out to play?

The inclusion and fostering of women's teams and the creation of the women's tournament when Denver first hosted Gay Bowl. 

What is one manner in which you would like to see the NGFFL advance over the next few years?

I hope the NGFFL continues to expand the number of cities that send women's teams to Gay Bowl. 

Do you have any advice for new players?

Alon Hacohen gave me some of the best advice I ever got on the field.  Get out of your head.  If you drop a ball, go back and run the route again and catch the ball this time. You can do it. 

Do you still have any personal goals you wish to accomplish in the NGFFL?

Cheer on the DC Senators as they win their first Gay Bowl. 

Team Swift, Team Perry or Queen Bey – and why?

Queen Bey. She too smart to crave material things.

Dave Hamilton of Boston!

What does being a Hall of Famer mean to you?

Being a Hall of Famer is means a lot to me.  It's an honor to be included in the list of the other Hall of Famer's who have given so much over the years to the NGFFL, Gay Bowl, and their local league.  I had no idea I was even nominated which makes it even more special knowing that there are others who value my contributions.

What made you decide to “come out and play” in the NGFFL?

I played football for 1 year in high school.  I was a late bloomer.  I found out about the local Boston league through a friend and joined immediately.  When I heard that there was a national organization and championship tournament I was excited to join and get a taste of the increased level of competition.  My first Gay Bowl was Gay Bowl V in San Diego.  I have played in most of them since.

What is your favorite NGFFL memory so far?

I have to say it was in Boston last year when we were able to surprise everyone with Robert Kraft's attendance and the great speech that he gave.  Although, the very first Gay Bowl I played in was pretty special too.

How did the NGFFL make you feel included in the sports community?

Since the very first tournament that I played in, the NGFFL has definitely made me feel welcome into a much larger community.  It is made up of so many great people across the US and Canada.  Without the NGFFL, I would not have had the opportunity to play and captain 3 different teams and had the honor of being co-chair for Gay Bowl Boston.  Thank you so much!

Given the mission/vision of NGFFL: “To proudly foster community, camaraderie, and inclusivity by providing opportunities to engage in competition through flag football” – how do you plan to use your new moniker as Hall of Famer to embody this mission/vision?

I would like to think that I personally embody those and promote that in our local league as well.   I plan to use this to show our local league that what we do is much bigger than Boston and that we are all part of that larger community that should all embrace those values.

What has been the most encouraging NGFFL advancement since you came out to play?

I would have to say the addition of the Women's division and a continued focus on that and the broader outreach to be as inclusive as possible.

What is one manner in which you would like to see the NGFFL advance over the next few years?

Continue to focus on giving back to the communities that we play in.  

Do you have any advice for new players?

Yes, embrace the mission/vision of the NGFFL.  When we all get together to play we all want to be very competitive and to win. But, let's not lose sight of being respectful of all. Pick up someone else's flag once in a while.  Acknowledge a good play by someone on the opposite team.

Do you still have any personal goals you wish to accomplish in the NGFFL?

Win a championship, of course.

Team Swift, Team Perry or Queen Bey – and why?

All amazing, but has to be Queen Bey. She was in a very successful group, has an amazing solo career, she's an amazing dancer, is a producer, golden globe nominated actress, has her own fashion company and is a mom.

Becky Lee of Denver!

What does being a Hall of Famer mean to you?

It is a surprising but fantastic honor not only for myself but for the community here in Denver. This recognition is the culmination of the support from an amazing group of people in our Denver league. They gently pushed me to be a leader despite my own fears of what I could offer back to them and gave me a lot of love (even with constructive criticism) as their commissioner for two years. It also is deeply appreciated to be a part of the greater community of the NGFFL which I was shy to be a part of but was so kindly welcomed into by the other cities and commissioners who I was able to get to know in brief opportunities at tournaments.

What made you decide to “come out and play” in the NGFFL?

I have to thank the founding members of the Denver league who had the vision to start a co-ed league in our city. I didn't join in Season 1, but I watched my friends make new friends that crossed gender and orientation lines within the 6 starting teams. I probably could call 1 gay man as my friend at the time. I was hooked in Season 2 playing in our local league, and ten years later, I have a great group of friends and have met many more really cool people - gay, straight, male, female, trans - who also break all sorts of stereotypes on and off the field. This particular aspect was a real growing point for me. And then core members of the league invited me to help bid for Gay Bowl XII in Denver, and this became the starting point for the women's division that the following cities continued to host and helped to grow to what will be a 12 team field this year at Gay Bowl XVIII!

I also want to mention that my participation in this community over the last ten years was the support I needed when I was still closeted up until about 2 years ago when I finally came out to my parents. Despite the late coming out, I don't know if I could have ever even had the conversation with my conservative Korean minister father or my mother if I didn't have the example of the league members who proved that there's nothing to be ashamed of, and we're actually a bunch of pretty amazing humans who play some damn good football (I LOVE watching the men's and women's championship games!)

What is your favorite NGFFL memory so far?

I have many fond memories and really fuzzy closing party memories. But by far, the highlight has to be winning Gay Bowl XIV with a Denver team that almost only brought 8 players but got lucky with some talent at the last minute and some of the best teamwork I've been a part of.

Given the mission/vision of NGFFL: “To proudly foster community, camaraderie, and inclusivity by providing opportunities to engage in competition through flag football” – how do you plan to use your new moniker as Hall of Famer to embody this mission/vision?

This has been a personal mission of mine to be a good ambassador for this league locally and nationally. I personally reach out to as many rookies as possible during the season and have done my best to engage other city teams on and off the field at tournaments. I believe a lot of people out there are looking for their people and hoping for a connection through these leagues and tournaments. And it doesn't take much more sometimes than moving out of our comfort zone to strike up a conversation with someone new to make a life long friend. Particularly in these divisive times, it's good to keep in mind that we have more in common than not despite some fierce competitiveness on the field. And I also plan to slip into as much conversation things like "you know, as a Hall of Famer, you should really take my advice" and so on.

What is one manner in which you would like to see the NGFFL advance over the next few years?

I think the NGFFL is a prime venue for broadening our inclusivity because as a league we have dropped most boundaries on gender and orientation unlike the straight leagues I used to play on. Being a cis-gender female who can easily blend into a straight community, if needed, and lives in a progressive city, I don't completely understand how excluded certain people may feel in the LGBTQ community. But from talking to more and more people who feel they're on the fringe, they don't always feel welcome in this league - a league which should be the ideal place for anyone with athletic inclinations to be able to play in without fixating on a category. I've thought about this a lot on the local level here how we can break out into other fringe groups in the queer community to make them feel welcome in our league if they love sports and want to continue to compete on the field. I don't have a great answer today, but I would love to see the NGFFL and all the welcome I see be cast out into the greater community somehow through either active pursuit within those communities or broader marketing. I don't think it's a matter of active exclusivity on anyone's part but an awareness that there are people who exist in the fringes.