Costa Rica: Women of Gridiron 2022 Kickoff
The Gridiron Women Football League of Costa Rica players are donning their helmets and lacing up their cleats once again for the pursuit of victory!
Sunday, August 21st at 9:00 AM on the field of Zona Deportiva Pedregal the first clash of the season takes place with the 2xs reigning champs Bulldogs Flames F.A. against the reigning runner-up Goddesses CR F.A.
Valkirias Football Team from Pérez Zeledón will take on the Goddesses the following Sunday.
Flames, Goddesses and Valkirias are the same three competing teams as the last two seasons. The 2022 calendar will host nine regular games with the Playoff on Sunday, October 23 and the Championship on Sunday, October 30. All calendar games will commence at 9:00 AM with a rotating venue schedule between cities.
What fuels the flames of passion for the players?
Hazell ‘ Gata’ Salazar #26 – WR & Team Captain of Bulldogs Flames
It is an inexplicable feeling, between so much waiting for two years. The emotion of playing again, seeing new girls and the reunion of the first teammates, the most anticipated day of the year finally arrived!
We have girls with experience and girls who play the sport for the first time, but on both sides there is the feeling of living an emotion of love and passion for the sport. It is beautiful to see how more women come to learn and at the same time break stereotypes.
It’s already been 4 years for me of living and feeling the passion for American football. My greatest inspiration is teamwork, the support of women regardless of age, ethnicity or physical appearance and not forgetting the love and dedication that our coaches show us, which together make us feel accepted and admired by this sport.
Aymara Reyes – A 30 year old mother who works in finance and moonlights as a QB for the Goddesses
You know, I never imagined that I would play American Football or know anything about the sport and now I can’t miss a practice session or watching games. I learned about this sport 6 years ago. I was invited by a co-worker and from that moment I said “This is my sport”.
What inspires me to continue practicing this sport, my team, which has made me believe as a woman in empowering myself and believing in myself, since I believe that American Football helps many women and allows us to contribute to change and the stereotypes that exist in the world and in other disciplines.
In these 6 years I have learned several and I have played several positions but currently I play as QB. I feel better than ever for this season since playing with a knee injury (torn meniscus and cruciate ligament). I had surgery in 2021 so the pandemic allowed me to rehabilitate.
After almost 2 years without football due to the pandemic, I am excited to know that we will have a season and I know that the Goddesses are coming strong because each of the girls has trained hard to have good results. For me Goddesses is not just a team, each of its members becomes like a family and like all families we walk towards the same goal and I know that those efforts and hard work will give good results for this 2022 season.
Gridiron Women Football League
American Football in Costa Rica (English)
Costa Rica: Women’s 2nd National Championship Kickoff
Costa Rica: Inaugural Women’s Championship Calendar Gets Underway
