The Athlesbian

The Athlesbian

• The Chicago Cubs want YOU to Sing the National Anthem or Throw Out the First Pitch
  Tweet TweetIf you were anything like me, as a kid, you spent your summer watching the Cubs with your grandparents or brothers and sisters on WGN. I used to think that the people who got to throw out the first pitch were the luckiest people to ever live. To walk in front of 40,000+ screaming fans and throw the ball to the Cubs catcher seemed like something that was for famous actors or political figures. But, this summer IT COULD BE [...]
• Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse: The Best Team You Don’t Know
  Tweet TweetBy Aidee Woods If I asked you which Chicago team has been the winningest in recent history, the possibilities of whom it would not be are pretty obvious. That team on Addison comes to mind. However, the answer might surprise you. Up in Evanston, on the campus of Northwestern University, the women’s lacrosse program has quietly been building one of the most prolific dynasties in Chicago sports history. Behind the success is Head Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, a former collegiate All-American for [...]
• The Chicago Force is back in season
  Tweet TweetIn physics, a Force is any influence that causes an object to undergo a certain change, either concerning its movement, direction, or geometrical construction. In other words, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity, to accelerate, or which can cause a flexible object to deform. I’ve seen the Force play. I’ve watched them cause flexible running backs to deform and change shape. I’ve watched them change a game’s direction with one quick pass [...]
• Chicago Sky’s March Madness Kickoff Party
  Tweet TweetLadies!!! The brackets are out and DePaul is in! Ok there’s a lot of favorites to celebrate in the bracket selection. That’s why we are having our women’s NCAA tourney party with the Sky. On Monday, March 19th at 7:30pm The Chicago Sky is throwing a party to celebrate the beginning of the NCAA women’s tournament. The event will be held at Spin, 800 W. Belmont, in Chicago. Round Two of the tournament will be televised on a number of flat [...]
• Denver March Madness
  Tweet TweetAs March Madness gears up and everyone is scrambling to finish their brackets the women at HipChicksOut  and Babes Around Denver (BAD)  are getting ready to play host to 30,00 fans of women’s basketball. This year Denver has the honor of hosting the tournament and Silke Reuthlinger and Dede Frain won’t let this great experience go without a party (or five). “We have created an action-packed weekend to celebrate the Women’s Final Four with events that will suit all types of [...]
• The WPS Shuts down for 2012 Season
  Tweet TweetAccording to the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) communications announcement on January 30th its Board of Governors has voted to suspend the 2012 season to permit the League to focus on the resolution of certain pending legal issues and the challenges that now face the League as a result of its ongoing dispute with a former owner. According to the WPS website they voted on Monday morning to suspend the 2012 season. They state, “Over the last year the league has faced [...]
• Celebration of the Tomboy – The 40th Anniversary of Title IX
  Tweet TweetIn a conversation with a friend today I had mentioned how Title IX was celebrating its 40th year. There was a long silence, maybe a deep breath…and it struck me. Not everyone knows what Title IX is, how foolish of me. For those of you who are not part of my Ponytail Posse of female athletes let me tell you the story of how the American tomboy was encourage to flourish. On June 23, 1972 it passed as part of [...]
• CLLAW XII
  Tweet TweetWhat do you get when you take one part good ole 80’s alley gang rumble (think Beat It’s music video) with one part three day rager (think Animal House), poured over the frozen veins of heartless competitors, and then garnished with some sexy sexy ladies? NO, not my family reunion. It’s CLLAW!!!!!!!!!!!!! CLLAW XII to be exact. This is some serious arm wrestling people!!! Taking competition from the fields, courts, and even the streets CLAAW (which so seductively means the Chicago [...]
• Bump with the Pink Tacos
  Tweet TweetAs someone quite active in the lesbian sports community, and women’s sports in general, walking into the Center on Halsted’s gym feels oddly unfamiliar. Sure, there’s a very diverse crowd of people of all sizes and colors, but the gym is primarily male dominated. Courts are dotted with an occasional woman – after all, this is a co-ed league. It’s not until I reach the back court (which, by the way, is coincidental) that I find an all-women’s team. This [...]
• When is it legal to maul a hooker?
  Tweet TweetWhen phrases like “let’s ruck!” and “tackle the hooker!” are screamed, one can’t help but chuckle like a 14 year old boi.  Anyone who has ever been close to a rugby pitch knows that the double entendres are thrown around as easily as the ball. Make no mistake, however, the Chicago Women’s rugby team (CWRFC) is a major force to be reckoned with. According to legend (and the CWRFC website), the team started back in 1976 when “a bunch of women [...]
• CMSA Women’s Fall Football Kicks Off
  Tweet TweetThe dew was crisp and the air was fresh. The sun had risen with the sleepy eyed teams unlucky enough to be assigned the 9am slot. With belts buckled, the first whistle blew, and the CMSA’s fall Flag Football season had officially started on Sunday, September 11th. This year, 26 teams have signed up for the all women’s flag football league. While this number is down from previous years, it still means that there are over 200 women that take the [...]
• Catch Lever Fever or a Foul Ball While You Still Can
  Tweet TweetThe season is winding down and the Chicago Bandits have their last homestand this weekend!!! Yes, I know that it’s the weekend of Market Days. Who can really spend two whole days standing at a street festival? No one. Unless you break it up with a little bit of good old fashion fun at the ballpark. No, not Wrigley (though we LOVE our Cubbies), at Rosemont Stadium! The Ladies of the Bandits want to say goodbye until next season by [...]
• The World Cup was great…but now what?
  Tweet TweetCollectively, we held our breath. As one, we screamed. When the last moments came, together we all mourned. Within the last two weeks, women across the world have caught footie fever. Here, however, fever comes with heartbreak. We mutter a familiar chi-town phrase “…wait till next year…” as we look forward to avenging our losses in the 2012 Olympics. Did you know it was only last year when you could catch U.S. National team player Megan Rapino and two of Brazil’s [...]
• A Day To Remember – Coverage of Out at Wrigley and Women’s World Cup
  Tweet TweetIt was hot. Not your average sunny hot day in the city, rather one that reminded me of my time in the Middle East living on the Arabian Sea. The air was still as death on the field and I could hear one Cubs employee say to another, “The temperature is 105 in the bullpen.” I’m talking face melting hot. Not a cloud in the sky to bring relief or comfort, or a rainbow for that matter. So, we brought [...]
• Family Events Reach new Heights with the Sky
  Tweet TweetThe Sky, Chicago’s WNBA team,  play fast paced, exciting technically exquisite basketball.  During the game, dads and daughters alike, shoot from their seats cheering for the team.  It feels good to be a team’s  “sixth man”.  In consideration of Pride week the Sky wanted to participate and invite members of the GLBT community, along with their family and friends, to a game to celebrate. The Chicago Sky and the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association (CMSA) have partnered up and scheduled a Family [...]
• The Girls are back in town!!!
  Tweet TweetThe Chicago Bandits are in Rosemont! Yes ladies, that’s right. They are playing closer to the city than ever before! This year the Bandits will be playing in a 6 million dollar, top of the line stadium that Rosemont built for them to play in. They are the first women’s pro team to have their own stadium, appropriately located at 27 Jenny Finch Way. It is BEAUTIFUL! The stadium is new, clean, and intimate. You can see the smiles on [...]
• Athlesbian’s Week in Review
  Tweet TweetChicago Force are now 6-0 beating the St. Louis Slam 55-24. Quarterback Sami Grisafe threw for 384 yards and 4 TD’s and Jeanette Gray and Albi Zhubi each had 2 TD receptions. Jessica Springer ran for 3 TD’s and linebacker Darcy Leslie had twelve tackles and Kim Marks ended with ten. The Force have two more road games. If they win both they look good to host the first round of playoffs on June 25th. Chicago roller derby is looking as [...]
• Not Your Grandma’s Derby
  Tweet TweetFor many of you they need no introduction.  But for those who don’t know who they are let me introduce to you, The Windy City Rollers (WCR), Chicago’s first of two derby leagues that exist in the city.  What’s women’s roller derby you ask?  Women’s roller derby is one of the fastest growing women’s sports in the country, and by the looks of things, there’s no stopping it anytime soon.  Is there anything more exciting then fierce competition, speed, strength, [...]
• Brute Force
  Tweet TweetFor many of you they need no introduction.  But for those who don’t know who they are let me introduce to you, The Force.  The Force is Chicago’s ONLY REAL women’s tackle football team.  These women are true athletes through and through.  Day in and day out they sacrifice to play this game that America loves.  They do it for the sound their pads make when they put a square hit on a girl that lays her out.  A sound [...]