Madison Blaze
The Madison Blaze have three home games left this season. Home games are played at Breitenbach Stadium in Middleton.
Saturday vs. Minnesota Machine, 7:30 p.m.
May 6 vs. Indy Crash, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 vs. Western Michigan Mayhem, 5 p.m.
MONROE - Paisley Bennett isn't a stranger to calling the shots. Even when it comes to being in the huddle and playing for the Madison Blaze, a women's professional football team.
Bennett, a 2010 Monroe High School graduate, is in her second season playing for the Blaze. Bennett has recovered after suffering a torn ACL in her first season last year. She is the starting quarterback and is enjoying her return to football.
"The first ball that was in my hand was a football," Bennett said. "I had a football in my hand since before I could walk. It's similar to softball with the camaraderie, the team and the belonging. Playing quarterback has been a blast this year. The 30 women I get to practice with three days a week and play with on weekends, I wouldn't trade for anything. They are my second family."
The Blaze play in the full-contact Women's Football Alliance league that includes 68 teams across the country. The league uses a smaller ball, which makes for a better passing game and ball handling, Madison Blaze co-owner Pam Close said. The league follows NCAA rules. The Blaze play an eight-game regular season.
Bennett has completed 4 of 10 passes in the first two games. The Madison Blaze are 0-2 and host the Minnesota Machine at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Breitenbach Stadium in Middleton.
The women's on the Blaze's active roster range in age from 22 to 50.
After graduating from North Central University in Minneapolis, Bennett wanted to get back into football. She talked with a couple of players from the Minnesota Vixen to see if there was a team in Wisconsin. She did an internet search and found her opportunity with the Blaze. Bennett played softball at North Central and was the catcher at Monroe.
"I thought since I'm done with softball, I would bring football back," Bennett said.
Bennett played flag football through the Green County Family YMCA. She played tackle football in seventh and eighth grades at Monroe Middle School.
She said being involved in a team sport helps her satisfy her competitive drive.
"It's something I'm used to," she said of playing football. "People from Monroe are not surprised that I'm playing football again. I absolutely love it. There are some people who may say that football is not for women. There is some of that out there. They don't hit any less than the guys. They are just as fast and can hit just as hard as the college players. When you get hit hard it still hurts."
Bennett relishes her opportunity to take on a leadership role as the quarterback.
"In the back of my head, there is some pressure," she said. "Being the quarterback and the leader of the offense I just have to be ready every play and instill confidence in the rest of the team. Last year, I just had to know where I had to be as a wide receiver and a cornerback on defense and a gunner on kickoffs. Now, I have to know where all 11 people are at on offense."
Bennett said the biggest challenge is realizing which running backs and wide receivers are in the game at a given moment because they each have their own talents and strengths as players.
The players are not paid to play. Instead, most of them have other full-time jobs. Bennett is a shift supervisor at Starbucks in Madison.
It's technically a limited liability company, but Close said the team functions more as a non-profit, as any revenue either goes back into the team to cover uniforms, equipment and travel expenses.
"We would love to fill the stands for every game," Close said. "We strive to break even. Any money we make goes back into the team."
Close said each player pays $600 a year in fees, has to buy their own equipment and cover some travel expenses. However, this year players did fundraising projects so their entry fee was reduced based on the fundraisers they were involved in.
Bennett said the cost per player, including equipment, travel expenses and lodging, can range from $900 to more than $1,000 per season.
"I'm lucky I'm smaller so I can get by with little kid's shoulder pads," Bennett said. "Helmets are $200 and shoulder pads can be $75 to $200. It's not cheap to play. We try to split the costs for traveling by car pooling and lodging by rooming together."
Another challenge, Bennett said is spreading the word that there is a professional women's full-contact football league.
Close said for the team, each game costs about $1,800, which includes the field rental, referees, lights and the required on-site athletic trainer, security and ambulance.
The women practice three times a week, watch game film and play Saturday games from April through June, not including playoffs. The playoffs start in June and run through July.
To become a player, a woman must be 18 years of age. Bennett is trying to get more recent Monroe graduates to join her on the team.
"We are paving the way for the younger ones," Bennett said.
Bennett, a 2010 Monroe High School graduate, is in her second season playing for the Blaze. Bennett has recovered after suffering a torn ACL in her first season last year. She is the starting quarterback and is enjoying her return to football.
"The first ball that was in my hand was a football," Bennett said. "I had a football in my hand since before I could walk. It's similar to softball with the camaraderie, the team and the belonging. Playing quarterback has been a blast this year. The 30 women I get to practice with three days a week and play with on weekends, I wouldn't trade for anything. They are my second family."
The Blaze play in the full-contact Women's Football Alliance league that includes 68 teams across the country. The league uses a smaller ball, which makes for a better passing game and ball handling, Madison Blaze co-owner Pam Close said. The league follows NCAA rules. The Blaze play an eight-game regular season.
Bennett has completed 4 of 10 passes in the first two games. The Madison Blaze are 0-2 and host the Minnesota Machine at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Breitenbach Stadium in Middleton.
The women's on the Blaze's active roster range in age from 22 to 50.
After graduating from North Central University in Minneapolis, Bennett wanted to get back into football. She talked with a couple of players from the Minnesota Vixen to see if there was a team in Wisconsin. She did an internet search and found her opportunity with the Blaze. Bennett played softball at North Central and was the catcher at Monroe.
"I thought since I'm done with softball, I would bring football back," Bennett said.
Bennett played flag football through the Green County Family YMCA. She played tackle football in seventh and eighth grades at Monroe Middle School.
She said being involved in a team sport helps her satisfy her competitive drive.
"It's something I'm used to," she said of playing football. "People from Monroe are not surprised that I'm playing football again. I absolutely love it. There are some people who may say that football is not for women. There is some of that out there. They don't hit any less than the guys. They are just as fast and can hit just as hard as the college players. When you get hit hard it still hurts."
Bennett relishes her opportunity to take on a leadership role as the quarterback.
"In the back of my head, there is some pressure," she said. "Being the quarterback and the leader of the offense I just have to be ready every play and instill confidence in the rest of the team. Last year, I just had to know where I had to be as a wide receiver and a cornerback on defense and a gunner on kickoffs. Now, I have to know where all 11 people are at on offense."
Bennett said the biggest challenge is realizing which running backs and wide receivers are in the game at a given moment because they each have their own talents and strengths as players.
The players are not paid to play. Instead, most of them have other full-time jobs. Bennett is a shift supervisor at Starbucks in Madison.
It's technically a limited liability company, but Close said the team functions more as a non-profit, as any revenue either goes back into the team to cover uniforms, equipment and travel expenses.
"We would love to fill the stands for every game," Close said. "We strive to break even. Any money we make goes back into the team."
Close said each player pays $600 a year in fees, has to buy their own equipment and cover some travel expenses. However, this year players did fundraising projects so their entry fee was reduced based on the fundraisers they were involved in.
Bennett said the cost per player, including equipment, travel expenses and lodging, can range from $900 to more than $1,000 per season.
"I'm lucky I'm smaller so I can get by with little kid's shoulder pads," Bennett said. "Helmets are $200 and shoulder pads can be $75 to $200. It's not cheap to play. We try to split the costs for traveling by car pooling and lodging by rooming together."
Another challenge, Bennett said is spreading the word that there is a professional women's full-contact football league.
Close said for the team, each game costs about $1,800, which includes the field rental, referees, lights and the required on-site athletic trainer, security and ambulance.
The women practice three times a week, watch game film and play Saturday games from April through June, not including playoffs. The playoffs start in June and run through July.
To become a player, a woman must be 18 years of age. Bennett is trying to get more recent Monroe graduates to join her on the team.
"We are paving the way for the younger ones," Bennett said.
