Lori Burkholder will finally get her chance to play football
When Lori Burkholder was in junior high in the Carmichaels school district, she and several girlfriends attempted to join the football program but were turned away at the organizational meeting. “Since then, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “Based on the turnout at the tryouts, it’s something a lot of girls have wanted to do.”
Burkholder and 161 other women tried out for the Pittsburgh Passion, the newest team in the two-year-old National Women’s Football League. The former All-America center fielder at California (Pa.) University made the 65-woman team and is one of four quarterbacks on the roster.
“Not to sound egotistical, but from the response I’ve gotten from teammates and spectators at the tryouts, I was the better of the four quarterbacks,” Burkholder said. “One of the other girls has some experience from a league that’s now defunct, and you can’t count the two other girls out because you never know in sports, but I think I have a good chance to be the starter. If not, hopefully I’ll play another position, but quarterback is my main concern.”
Burkholder has experience as a team leader. She was captain of the softball team her senior season at California in 1993, and of course was one of the leaders of her softball and basketball teams at Carmichaels. As for her arm, college teammates called her “Gunner” and opposing base runners rarely tested her.
“Growing up,” Burkholder said, “I was practically the only girl in the neighborhood. My parents nicknamed me Tom because I was surrounded by boys and played sports with them from as far back as I can remember.”
And they let her play quarterback?
“Sure, for the occasional pickup games,” she said. “They were never threatened because I was a girl, probably because I was bigger than them and could beat them up.”
The Passion is the 23rd team in the NWFL and will begin playing exhibition games late in the summer in anticipation of starting league play next April.
Competition is already under way in the NWFL’s second season, which will conclude with the championship game in Pittsburgh. Last year’s championship game drew 5,000 fans in Pensacola, Fla., after averaging 1,500 fans throughout the regular season.
To tryout for the team, the players had to pay a $35 fee. There will also be a $250 uniform and equipment fee and the women must have proof of insurance.
The Passion will play their games at either Pine-Richland High School or Duquesne University. Even though the team hasn’t found an owner, practices are scheduled to begin June 5. Potential owners must pay $50,000 for a franchise, but the league doesn’t feel the need to rush the process. In fact, the league operated four teams last season before owners were selected.
Burkholder attended two tryouts at Neville Island and impressed coach John Stolec, who doubles as an assistant at Cornell High School. But Burkholder, a medical technician at Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, impressed her family even more.
“My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are ecstatic,” she said. “They can’t wait for the season to start. Our family reunion is in a couple weeks and they’ll be taking up a collection for my sponsorship costs. My mom said that I never fail to amaze them, but, really, they’re not surprised.”
The NWFL championship game will be played in Pittsburgh on July 20, probably at Pine-Richland. Burkholder believes area football fans will like what they see.
“I’m pretty convinced it’s going to work,” she said. “Pittsburgh’s such a football town, so I think the fans will come out, and since we’ll be playing during the Steelers’ off-season the fans will probably be happy to have football all year around.
“But I’m ecstatic. The coaches are great. My teammates are great. We’re already close-knit and I think it’ll be a great time.
” People will be amazed at the togetherness of the team and the athletic ability of the women. They’ll probably be a little hesitant to come out, but they will be surprised by what they see.”