What was it like playing with Kelly McGillis?

By: Diane Beruldsen

First of all........ how did we get her ?

Kelly, a Humanitarian and avid Tennis Player had always been our guest celebrity in past years to throw the football in to start the games. This year, however, as I came back to the island after a 10 month promotional tour of the US, I thought of how to make this event bigger. I knew we were going to get more international competition, I knew we were going to bring in local girls team (as that was one of the first things I would begin work on), so why not add another new dimension to the tournament. And that was to create an east coast event similar to the "Dinah Shore Golf Classic", which brings in thousands to California. Why not create the "Kelly McGillis Classic" for our flag football?

I called her up and asked to meet with her to discuss this possibility. Once I explained to her the goal of the IWFFA, which was to empower and strengthen girls and women through sport and physical contact......... making direct confrontation, getting up immediately once fallen to the ground during play and learning how to play as a team.......... I think that was when Kelly really understood what we are trying to do. It doesn't matter who wins or looses, but that every girl and woman has the opportunity to play this game, learn the skills and carry them over to other areas of their lives. Equal footing with the men in the business world and so forth. I mean, why don't you think the NFL has yet to professionalize women's tackle football? (I am saying a lot here).

So, OK, we can use her name to call the tournament the : Kelly McGillis Classic" and she will also do promotional work for us to further our exposure. But she also wants a parade for the locals and the players. OK Kelly, no problem.

Next meeting was to discuss this promotional stuff further. Our IWFFA Promotional Video was coming up and this was perfect timing. Kelly and myself to appear in the beginning of this action packed piece and boy (I mean girl) is it exciting! our best action packed flag football piece so far. It is full of zoom, high action shots of women playing flag football. It gets you excited to look at and makes you want to play.

Next, we talk about a celebrity team. Can we get Rosie? Madonna? Who do you know? She will write some letters and see who we can pull in. I am wearing one of my "Loose Women's" tee shirts and she asks me questions. I explain that this is a special team the IWFFA offers for all of it's tournaments where individual athletes who do not have a team, or women who have never played before are offered the opportunity to play on the loose player........ or we call them "Loose Women's" team. I do not have to say anymore.......... "I want to play on that team". "O.K Kelly, we would love to have you on the Loose Women's team!"

She never played before and she was also involved in a local play called: ' Popcorn'. Rehearsals, and finally show time made regular practices impossible, so we had private practices. First with her two daughters: Kelsey (age 10) and Sonora (age 6). I will never forget. As I brought out the dry eraser board and started to draw X's and 0's....... Kelsey started asking questions about what type of defense we will play? what kind of strategy we will use (she is 10 years old!) Then when I drew the pass patterns and which numbers we used to call each one, Kelsey asked: " what happens when a receiver hits the side-lines"?. I looked at Kelly and tell her: "I know you may not understand now, but your daughter is asking brilliant questions. We are doing flag football 101 and she is asking us flag football 103 questions". Well, I got excited and off we went, the four of us to practice some "I" formation, sweep right and left plays. I was the QB, and the three of them rotated playing the Fullback, Halfback and Defensive Linebacker. You had to see how adorable Sonora looked, playing her defensive position, feet straddled, bent and ready for action. I told Kelly that she was the fullback and lead blocker for the ball carrier, that the first defender she saw, was to be her first block. "You see that defender (referring to her six year old)?...... well, get her! and protect your ball carrier.

When the girls carried the ball and broke the defense, me and Kelly just watched them run all the way down field for the touch down. They happy they scored, and us adults were happy we didn't have to chase them. It was a fun practice and Kelsey would soon decide to play with the local girls team. During the girls practice, Sonora would also play and get in to sac the QB a few times.

And as for Kelly, practices continued, but it was just ourselves. During one practice, I was explaining to Kelly how we (as receiver's) do a little "dance" in front of our defender to stop our momentum to change direction, to "rock their socks" and to throw them off completely so they have no idea which direction we are going to run to. So Kelly does this move, a couple of times and all of a sudden it is pouring rain. A rain dance, I guess you could call it, and actually, that was kind of what it looked like. And there were more practices, but with no opposition, everything went well. Whether she threw, or caught or ran with the ball. It was not until Sarah (from Texas - one of the tournament's volunteers) who came out to play with us, did Kelly get a taste of opposition. On one play, I had Kelly playing defensive linebacker whose job was to prevent the receiver (Sarah) from receiving the pass. My eyes could not believe what happened, and there is Sarah running smack into Kelly! BOOM. I am thinking ouch, and Kelly is asking: "is that allowed"? "Not past the 5 yard line"(chucking zone) and afterwards I ask Sarah........ why did you run smack into Kelly? Sarah's answer: " I wanted to see what Kelly would do" You should also know the size difference between Kelly and Sarah. I just asked Sarah to leave the coaching to me. But, we had fun and we all laughed.

OK, a few more practices, radio promotions and before you know it, it is time for the tournament. But first, the parade!

We had the mayor of Key West, Jimmy Weekly, Fantasy Fest Queen Martha, Justin our prince of our fund-raiser, the Conch Cheerleaders, the Key West High School Marching band, police officers on their horses (in the back of the parade) , and motorcycle police leading the parade, floats, the 801 crazy bus, a funny looking mermaid smoking a cigar sitting on top the mermaid mobile and all the players, from as far as: Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, national teams from so many states, women and girls holding their banners and flags from their home town and Kelly riding in the front car. Kelly asked me to put her in the front of the parade so she could leave as soon as the parade was over to rush to her second to final performance for the play. It was a great parade! our first of many more to come.

OK, D-day! Friday, tournament time. There we are ....... all the Loose Women lined up at the field. Kelly did not go to the store to buy herself a pair of cleats. I loan her my cleats and one of the other women tells Kelly she really should invest in her own pair. Everyone is putting on their Loose Women's shirts (which you can't buy, you have to earn) and someone takes Kelly's number 13. She does not realize and I still have not told her. If she should ever find out, I will just explain that someone took my number 0 also (I don't think it's gonna come up). And I am meeting these women for the first time and ask what they can do. For the first game, we will just wing it and for the second and third games we will put players in their proper positions. Everyone had received the play book, they know how to call the plays and run their patterns. Our only tough job was making it all synch and making sure everyone was playing the same amount of time as everyone else. No body sits on the bench....... "OK Kelly, get off the bench and stand by me during the game. Watch Lisa, because your gonna go in for her during the next defensive series we get". And Kelly sneaks back on to the bench. I look around and find her talking with some of her fans. She is no longer a celebrity, but one of my Loose Women players. Am I going to treat with "Kit Gloves"? "Kelly"! I shout, and she comes over to the side-lines. "Your going in on the next play". She goes in.

I will not mention the name of the team we played against, but I have some feelings about their strategy. As soon as Kelly gets situation in her Left Line Backer position........ the other team throws a pass in her territory and boom! it is a touch down. I call Kelly to come back to the side-lines and explain to her what just happened. "Did I do something bad"? she asks....... no I say, just be careful of the same thing happening again. We get the ball, they get the ball. We get the ball one more time, and it is time for Kelly to take her turn at that same defensive position. First play...... a pass in her territory and Boom! another touch down. Now Kelly understands what happened. She comes off the field and feels bad. I tell her, " we are loose women, we don't care if we win or loose, we just want to play and have fun. You had a tough play there, don't worry". Needless to say, that game was not a win for us, nor were the rest of the games in the tournament. After each game, our team got together and I, as the coach, tried to explain to the women what happened, what didn't happen and that we will try something different for the next time.

When it was all over and we played our three games in a two day period, we sat down to talk about what it was for us all. We all decided we wanted to keep in contact with each other. Tami and Kim would play as Loose Women for the Dallas tournament or maybe even Giovanna and Tee's team who are from Dallas. Laura was conducting a survey and asked for us all to participate. We handed everyone their team photo we took during the tournament and I thanked everyone for coming to play and willing to play as Loose Women. Many of the loose women asked Kelly to autograph their photos, tournament tee shirts and got a chance to know here a little bit better.

When the meeting was over, I went over to the girls games and so did Kelly as Kelsey was now playing. Following the Girls Championship Game, Kelly was there to give the souvenir pins to each girl. I gave my little speech of when I was 16 years old and did not get the MVP for my softball team and what it felt like. That though I didn't get a trophy to show everyone, instead I understood that I played my best season ever and wore a medal in my heart which does not collect dust and stays longer and stronger.

And then came the Women's awards presentation, and Kelly again was there handing everyone their tournament souvenir pin and MVP awards. Though she had to go to the bathroom and I kept telling her we are almost finished, she stayed there from the very beginning till the very end.

I don't think the locals know all she did for this tournament. She didn't just give us her name, she really got involved. She came in that Saturday morning to do the Promotional piece, it was her idea to do the parade which was a huge success, she came to all the practices we scheduled, her daughters played, we got lot's and lot's of media coverage, I know she will receive many letters from players who truly appreciated her being there and for me........

For me, it was really wonderful seeing her run off and on the field, knowing there were many "Sarah's" on the field for her to compete against, knowing she may not have been our strongest left linebacker but sticking with the team and not giving up. She made me feel good.

Immediately following the tournament, I met with Kelly to ask what she thought of the whole event. "We need to work on our celebrity team for next year....... let's start writing those letters and you and I really need to start practicing earlier"

- period......... end of sentence, but not end of story.