JANUARY 21, 2022, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A15
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Capital Pioneers offer tackle football
to women from "all walks of life"
SPORTS
The Capital Pioneers celebrate after completing an undefeated regular season in 2021.
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Rebecca Fineran has always had a
passion for football. But after being
forced to sit on the sideline for most
of her life because of her gender, the
Keizer resident decided that she wanted
to strive to help women and girls play
that game she has loved her whole life.
Fineran is the president of the Salem
Women's Football Association, a non-
profit that was created in 2019 with the
goal of expanding football opportuni-
ties for women and girls in the area.
Additionally, she plays tight end and
defensive line on the Capital Pioneers,
an all women's tackle football team
that is a part of the Women's Football
Alliance — which features teams
from Portland, Medford, Eugene and
Washington State.
“As a woman, you're told that there's
a standard and that you're supposed
to look a certain way, even if you're an
athlete. Football shows women that,
Submitted photo
regardless of shape or size, we will find
a position for you and you can be good
at it,” Fineran
said.
In
their
inaugural 2021
As a woman, you're told
campaign, the
Pioneers went
there's a standard and that
6-0 during the
you're supposed to look a
regular season
before
being
certain way. Football shows
knocked
out
women that, regardless of
of the playoffs
by the Arizona
shape or size, we will find a
Outcasts.
Ten
position for you and you can
players on the
Pioneers were
be good at it.
selected to play
in the league's
All-American
games
in
President, SALEM WOMEN'S FB. ASSO.
Canton, Ohio.
Considering
— REBECCA FINERAN
that they had less than 20 players on
the roster, the first-year success of the
Pioneers was quite remarkable. Fineran
said that it was the most enjoyable
sports experience she has ever had.
“It is the most fun sport I have ever
played, and I played a lot of sports
growing up. It's amazing. I hope I can
keep going for years to come,” Fineran
said.
Fineran was contemplating not play-
ing this season and just resuming her
duties in the front office. But when she
discovered how much she was inspir-
ing her children, she was motivated to
keep competing.
“My daughter didn't want me to quit
because she wanted to tell people that
her mom plays tackle football. I didn't
realize how much our families and kids
really latched on to it,” Fineran said.
See PIONEERS, page A19