Norway May 31 - June 26

( FYI)

We have our second annual IWFFA/Oslo tournament August 9 - 10 here. Usually, tournaments bring in only local teams their first three years. After then, outside teams will travel and come into the event. This year, we had a team of Key West girls, and their mother's who wanted to play. Fund raisers, bake sales, raffle tickets and donations were being organized to raise the money. The girls could make up one team (borrowing players from Norway) and the women could make up a whole team (counting the mothers and players from other U.S. teams). However, not enough money was raised, and efforts for next year are being made now.

The American women flag football teams are the best right now. Other countries want to beat them and that is the nature of competition......... to be number one (for those competitive teams). It would have been so exciting for the Americans to come in and show what they got, to teach and demonstrate the American style of Women's Flag Football. American teams need to understand this and help support the other countries, especially in those areas where there is not much competition. When we introduce the sport to these countries, it is only in few cities where we can create new teams, these teams need additional competition. And that is why the IWFFA has invited MVP and All-Star players from it's tournaments to make up the first American National team for Women's Flag Football. Next year, we will send this team to the other countries to represent America and support the other countries. We are one.

Thursday, May 31

I arrive in Oslo, Norway that afternoon and Wenke meets me at airport. Wenke, has become our newest staff member of the IWFFA as Secretary and consultant for the Nordic Region (she is Norwegian) and has become a very valuable asset to our organization. While making preparations for this trip, she gives us insight to customs and the differences with American culture and the Nordic countries. Very smart and energetic, I am happy she is there in Norway to help now with the remainder of our European Promotional tour for 2001.

I gather the bags, that have grown in weight and size since leaving JFK airport in N.Y., and we take them to the bus which takes us into Oslo city center where we are staying. I told her I had only 2 bags, but did not count the computer, and carry-on. We struggle and getting off the bus, which was 3 blocks from the house (yes, it is not far, but when you have these bags, they are quite a distance), we have to take turns watching the left bags to carry pieces one at a time to the house. We make it (there is always a way) and I start making phone calls. Karine is my contact for Norway, and also the IWFFA Nordic Region representative. I want to find out where exactly the group is that I will go to train in Eidsvold. But there are changes. The group was anticipated and never confirmed. It seems if we went to Eidsvold now, we would be starting with a small number and this trip was meant to definitely produce a new club to compete against the Oslo Trolls which is definitely strong in numbers. What to do? meet and discuss.

Friday, June 1

I am taking care of the business from our office in Florida, picking up emails and phone messages. It takes all the day, but I finally catch up with all the emails. I pick up over 253 emails since I left from N.Y. I could not use telephone connection while in Scotland, they use a different telephone wire and could not adapt to my computer. So, this day, I am behind the phone and computer  playing "ketch-up"

Saturday, June 2

Oslo has it's 'first Saturday in June' celebration. We take a break from all our work. The weather is beautiful, there is lot's of music in different locations and tons of people walking the streets of Oslo. Lot's of photos for the website and we visit the Museum of the World War II Resistance, which was a large group of Norwegian's who underground fought the German occupation of Norway.

Sunday, June 3

Karine, Wenke and myself sit down and talk about what would be best for the Trolls, and the tournament. I had hoped to start a new team in Norway to compete in the Oslo tournament that would come up in one week. Maybe Stavanger, Bergen..... or hopes that Trondheim was starting something (from last year's efforts during our 6 month / 2000 promotional tour) that we could pull together. But I wanted the sure thing. I did not want to travel across Norway in hopes. Also, I was waiting for final contact from three American players who wanted to come to Norway to play on the semi-American team. Karine suggested that with the recent overflow of new players coming to the Trolls practices, they could be part of the Loose Women's team to make it four teams coming into the tournament. We had Gothenburg Angels, Uppsala, Sweden the Oslo Trolls and........ hopefully the Loose Women's team.O.K. let us see. I was then thinking, if we could make up this Loose Women's team with Norwegian player's, that this could possibly become the new Women's Flag Football team for Norway.

I call Paal (coach of Trolls VIF) to find out if we could train (whatever new players we got) where the Trolls were training. Yes, no problem. So, that night, I make up a flier to hand out to announce the training dates, tournament and hope to start a new club in Norway.

Monday, June 4

Practice at Jordal, and it was nice to see all the Troll's player's from last year. Hugs and kisses and warm smiles from them all. I think that just a year ago, none of these women knew anything about flag football and if it had not been the efforts of the IWFFA to come into these countries, where the sport had never been heard of before, I would not be looking at these women here. I am proud of the IWFFA.

The practice was a good one and lot's of new players. Paal had me take the new players' and I show them offensive and defensive line skills. Bumping, blocking, opening up holes, cross blocking, guards pulling, power sweeps.... I go through it all with a verbal explanation as to why. Some of them will get a piece of it all, most will not. These women will only learn once on the field and in a game. You can practice as much as you can, but it is not until real competition that it all comes together. The end of the practice, I ask women to take fliers to hand out to friends / co-workers and explain the importance of starting this new club for the Trolls competition. Paal gives me the players I need to pull together a "Loose Women's" team but I am working to pull together a new club and not just a team for the tournament. I am going to have to find more players.

Tuesday, June 5

"Norway in a nutshell". This is a special tour of Norway where you take a train through the mountains, ferry through the fjords, bus ride up to the city of Voss, then train to Bergen. We travel from east to west of Norway. What a beautiful country. The weather was great and the view was breath taking. This is an all day trip and I am accumulating photos and film footage for our website while handing out fliers to any woman or girl looking like a flag football player (they all look like flag football players to me). We take the train home from Bergen to Oslo and get home next morning. I tell Wenke I have some fliers left over, so outside the train station, at 8:30 AM, we are out there handing out whatever fliers we have left.

Wednesday, June 6

I work on the tournament program and I think it is good. It gives information for the whole weekend and also describes the beginning of the IWFFA which informs new players what the organization is about. This takes the whole day.

Thursday, June 7

I find out for sure the Americans will not make it, so now we will be short for the Loose Women's team. I tell Karine at practice and we decide to make the teams for the tournament during Friday's Meet & Greet as Uppsala will also need more players. We have plenty of new players who have come as a result of the Troll's players efforts. Again, during the Trolls training, Paal has me take the new women aside for offensive and defensive line practice. It rains miserably, but we stay out there and cut the time just a little short. We play in the rain and the snow, so this is good preparation for us all. I want these women to be tough.

Friday, June 8

Meet & Greet. Both Swedish team's arrive at Beatre's place. The Trolls are there, and all the new players. We sign the rosters and start dividing the teams. Uppsala will get the fairly new players, who have some experience (from the Trolls practices) and I will get the brand new players (never played before) and play with them in the tournament (I will be quarterbacking). The Angels come with a full team and one extra player (9). Uppsala comes with 4 players, is given 4 additional players and cannot afford to get injured as well as the Loose Women's team who also has 8 players. The trolls are the strongest with 14. They have been practicing together for such a long time and their nucleus did not want to be broken up. We watch a skills video, the IWFFA promotional video and these tapes are good for the new players and interesting for the old ones. The women are all friendly with each other and the feeling is really nice. I do not feel that competitive energy, instead I feel the desire to just play.

Saturday, June 9

First day of the tournament. I am happy to get this tournament off with the four teams. That gives us our guaranteed three games and are spread out pretty nicely. The official's are good, the games start a little late, and all the games are played. During the Loose Women's games, we are not doing so good and we are not doing so bad either. I tell the women before our games start that we are using this tournament as a learning experience and that we do not expect or care if we win or loose. So, while we are playing, any flag grab, caught pass or successful run, is exciting for us all. We actually score a touch down against Uppsala and that game was very close (see results of the games under Oslo tournament).

During half time, I speak with the Officials about coaching a new Women's Flag Football team, if they would consider this. The Officials belong to a different club from Oslo Trolls, and I am pretty sure we could start a new women's team. If the Officials would be able to coach the new team, they would be called........ the Panthers. They will consider this and decide for sure by Monday.

That night we have a real nice tournament dinner where all the players from the four teams attend. Later that night, we have our infamous "toilet relay" race at the Potporriet. The Trolls win, the Angels came in second, a mix team third and my loose team..... dropped the money along the way and had no chance. It was all fun. There is no animosity, we are all friends.

Sunday, June 10

There is a big game against the Angels and Uppsala. Whoever wins, plays in the championship game against the Trolls (they are undefeated in this tournament and made the quarter finals in the Kelly McGillis Classic / Recreational Division last February). The Angels are considered the favorite but no....... Uppsala wins! This is extra special because for the first time, Uppsala is able to represent themselves in a tournament, while the Angels took second place, in the Kelly McGillis Classic / Beginner's division. The Loose women are up against the Trolls, and I tried extra hard to get on the score board. I felt that if the Loose Team could score against the toughest team, then the women would feel really proud of themselves. But, it was a scoreless game for us and the Trolls kicked our butts with a score of 33 - 0.

I believe in giving the underdog a chance. This is my personal feeling, but then, my motives are different from most players. While most teams are competing to win, my team (usually the Loose Women's team), is competing to learn the game and to just be a part of the tournament. I would rather let all the player's play (move the bench), even if we have a strong 8 on the field who might win the game. The main reason being, if those on the bench do not play, how are they gonna learn, and what is the whole purpose of what we are doing? It is to empower the women, all women, and allow them to challenge themselves on a controlled field then to transfer those skills to other areas of their lives to make them stronger to compete in our societies. Winning one game, and not allowing all the players to play ......... would be sad and a lost opportunity.

Well, the tournament is over, the teams are: First place - Oslo Trolls VIF, Second Place - Uppsala Sweden, Third Place - Gothenburg Angels, Fourth Place - Norway Loose Women. The awards ceremony is held on the field, all the teams come up and the coaches say a few words. They talk Norwegian or Swedish (the Swedes, Norwegian and Danes will speak their native language while addressing a mixed crowd of Scandinavians and will be understood because their languages are so similar to one another). It is a very nice gathering as we give out all the awards and special recognition's.

I take the Loose Women aside and ask if they would like to be a part of a new club for Women's Flag Football in Norway. The Trolls are already set, established, and this new team would require work. They would have to get more players, raise money for their expenses (they want to come to Key West) and hopefully we had a coach. They said "yes". We agree to have training every day since Wenke and I would be in Norway till June 18, when we would leave for Sweden to work over there. That night, I make up new fliers announcing a new club for Women's Flag Football in Norway and dates and times for all the trainings. Field we would use was good ole Frogner Parken, that was where we started the first club, the Trolls last year.

Monday, June 11 - 17

We have a good show of players, there are 10 players and are all excited to get news that the men from the Panthers will coach the women. These women do not know anything of the game and to leave them without a coach...... well, the IWFFA has done that in the past, and the result is a 50% success rate to continue with the sport and say competitive. So, now when the IWFFA goes into other countries or cities in the US, we look for coaches while getting new players.

The whole entire week goes pretty well. The Coach and President from the Panthers Club come to our practices, and explain policies and what the club will do for the women. They talk about using Panther logo, borrowing uniform shirts during tournaments and club dues. We establish one woman to represent the club for board meetings, one woman as tournament contact, equipment woman and fund raising. The IWFFA will work to help them make it to the Key West tournament, which gets the players really excited and hopeful. When teams participate in the Key West tournament, it offers the most amazing and exciting experience possible as thousands of players, dozens of teams (we had close to 50 this year), from all over the world, different levels of skill offered to participate in (6 different divisions) and celebrities (Kelly McGillis), Pro Basketball Players, Olympic Athletes, and whoever else we invite. So, I always encourage these new teams to get a taste of all this.

But, Wenke and I do not feel so sure about the numbers. We are making arrangements for Sweden and have agreed that we should go for the sure thing again. Stay in Norway, where we have this group, coach and club...... instead of going to Sweden and having to do all the leg work from the beginning which we do not know if we will have success. O.K. we stay in Norway.

Oslo has it's gay pride parade that weekend and the women from this new team are willing to march in it and hand out fliers wearing their new club uniforms from the Panthers. There is a big dance (over one thousand woman) where the players will also go to and talk to potential new players.

We schedule a scrimmage game against the Trolls for the end of next week, giving us time to train and practice plays with the new players. The weather is holding up pretty well, there was rain on Wednesday, and our Big Game on Thursday.

Tuesday, June 19

News from Oakland, that the tournament will have to cancel. I think of what to do with the teams who wanted to come. Perhaps another city, maybe change dates, maybe we can pull the tournament off. Many phone calls with a 9 hour difference and many more emails. There was a chance, but for the sake of a quality event, we might have to cancel California (for now). This will take up my energy during this week and we will decide (Wenke and I) during weekend if we can do it or not.

Thursday, June 21

Big Game - the Trolls come to Frogner Parken, and our Panthers are there. This time, the trolls take it easy on us, and the Panthers score their first touch down ever (this marks history). At the end, the trolls win again, but the Panthers played very well. We all go out to socialize and are very friendly with each other (I love this part most).

Friday, June 22

Last training for myself, Wenke and the Panthers. We get a new player and afterwards meet at Anita and Camilla's house and discuss the team politics. There are two girls under age 18 whom the team wants to support. They will play with the women until they get enough girls to play on their own team. And the club will promote the girls and seek young players to help them. They understand the philosophy and goals of the IWFFA and appreciate it all. Special thanks are given to Wenke and myself for starting the team, staying in Norway to support them and for all our time and energy. We are given gifts, but it was the words and thought that will last forever. We have very fond feelings and memories for this new club.

The weekend goes by, Wenke and I take notes of our trip to Norway. We make preparations for Iceland which is our next stop. We make our decision for the tournament in Oakland, California and have to cancel (for now). However, we will be able to add tournaments to our IWFFA circuit and that will be nice for the American region. Special thanks to Ann Helen, Margunn, Torill, Anita, Camilla, Marte, Siri, Stine, Gry, David, Morten, Tone, Karine, Paal. All the Trolls, all the Panters, all the Angels, all the Uppsala team......and my mother. We are tired and need a little down time.

Next stop....... Iceland