WFB
Welcome to the women’s football section of my website! This area contains links to many archived articles I have written over the years about the sport of women’s football.
In 2013, my wife Ashley joined the D.C. Divas, a full-contact women’s football team. Although she has since retired, I got hooked on the sport and became a vocal fan and advocate of the women’s game. I soon accepted a position with the D.C. Divas as their Vice President of Communications, and in that capacity, I have had the privilege to be a part of the Divas’ back-to-back national championship teams in 2015 and 2016 as a member of the team’s front office. For more information on the D.C. Divas, please visit their website at DCDivas.com.
I am the foremost historian on the sport of women’s football, having spent several years researching the evolution of the game. That research culminated in 2016 with the publication of my fourth book, The Women’s Football Encyclopedia. It is the most comprehensive, definitive resource ever created on the history of women’s football.
Below is more information on my book, followed by links to some of the women’s football articles I have written. Enjoy!
The Women’s Football Encyclopedia
The Women’s Football Encyclopedia – My fourth book, The Women’s Football Encyclopedia, is the most comprehensive reference ever published on the under-publicized sport of women’s football. With over 400 pages of stats, essays, and historical information unavailable anywhere else, The Women’s Football Encyclopedia is a must-have for everyone with any interest at all in the sport of women’s football. For excerpts, reviews, and ordering information, please visit The Women’s Football Encyclopedia book page.
2017 U.S. Addendum – I created a PDF addendum to The Women’s Football Encyclopedia with information on U.S. leagues from 2017. That addendum is available here.
2017 International Addendum – I created a PDF addendum to The Women’s Football Encyclopedia with information on international leagues from 2017. That addendum is available here.
2016 U.S. Addendum – I created a PDF addendum to The Women’s Football Encyclopedia with information on U.S. leagues from 2016. That addendum is available here.
2016 International Addendum – I created a PDF addendum to The Women’s Football Encyclopedia with information on international leagues from 2016. That addendum is available here.
Articles
Framework for a Professional Women’s Football League – Women’s football leagues historically have followed a club model or a “pay-to-play” model, but most people involved with the sport dream of truly professional league where female athletes are paid to play football. Leaning on my years in the sport, I outlined how a true professional women’s football league could one day happen.
Guide to the Massey Ratings – Since it’s a topic that often comes up in women’s football discussions, I tackled the sport’s usage of the Massey Ratings and why I’m a huge proponent of using a statistical rating system to provide playoff guidance in women’s football.
The Greatest Players in Women’s Football History – It’s one of the most engrossing topics in women’s football: trying to determine the greatest individual players in the sport’s history. I tackle that topic for the first time – and conclude with my thoughts on a possible Hall of Fame for the sport – in a five-part series. Here is the first of that five-part series on the greatest players in women’s football history.
Women’s Football Player Census – I conducted the first ever census of women’s football players in 2016, compiling the names, team affiliation, position, and jersey number of every player that played on 83 different women’s football teams that season. I published the 2016 women’s football player census in three separate articles for ease of reading, with players listed alphabetically by last name. Here is the first of the three parts of the 2016 census.
Pretty.Strong. and the History of the LFL – In the fall of 2015, the Oxygen network – in a massive error of judgment – greenlighted a reality show about the Lingerie Football League (LFL) entitled Pretty.Strong. I used that opportunity to highlight the history of the LFL and everything that is wrong with both the concept and execution of lingerie football. In the wake of plummeting ratings and an overwhelmingly negative reception, Pretty.Strong. was mercifully cancelled after one season. Here is the first of three articles I wrote on the subject that fall, which is still one of the most-read articles I’ve ever written on this site.
Introducing the D.C. Divas – The first article I ever wrote on women’s football was a history of my wife’s team, the D.C. Divas. For a trip down memory lane at where my women’s football writing journey started, you can read my debut article here.