Stats and Stars

The WFA (Women's Football Alliance) has a website.  One of the features there is "Statistics."  Very interesting stuff. 

Saturday the Outlaws play the Houston Power at Houston.  Houston's record is 1 and 1, same as the Outlaws.  Houston won their first game 31-0 versus the Gulf Coast Riptide.  They lost their second 54-8 versus the Dallas Diamonds.  (The Diamonds are looking good again this year.) 

Based on the records alone, the Houston/Outlaws game should be a good match. 

Rubi Reyna

The site gives stats for the league and also for individual teams.  They appear to be incomplete and I'm not certain why.  Gathering statistics at a game is a big job and then getting them entered to the league site has to take time.  I believe the stats for the Outlaws, as of today, only reflect the first game, the win at home versus Tulsa.  A couple things caught my attention. 

The first is Rubi Reyna.  As quarterback she has completed 5 of 10 passes - averaging 13.4 yards, and she has carried the ball 5 times for an average of 5.2 yards. 

I'm big.  When I'm around the Outlaws I'm often aware of the reality - women aren't as big as men.  The Outlaws are almost all smaller than I.  I've seen Rubi at practices and I think she is smaller than average.  I'll have to ask next time I see her.  She also strikes me as quiet.  I was impressed when I saw her stats for the game.  Really wish I'd been there.  Inside that small quiet person is a football player. 

Rubi catching the pass in practice, and heading
toward the end zone.

I checked my Outlaws practice photos and found a few of Rubi.  I have a good one of her receiving a pass and then heading up the field.  She looks like she knows what she'd doing. 

Another is her passing.  Not a great photo because it is from the perspective of the receiver and Rubi is far from the camera.  But once again you get the impression that she's capable.  It shouldn't have been a surprise that she has been effective in Outlaw games.

Rubi throwing a long pass in practice.

Practicing taking  the hand off.

The other Outlaws stat that caught my attention was Deidra Holland.  She had 10 carries for 46 yards.  Averaging 4.6 yards per carry is good.  Very good,   So I started checking my photos for shots of Deidra.  I found some but none that reflected how talented she really is. 

Deidra reaching for a pass thrown a little too tall.

I had noticed how focused she is.  Whether practicing taking a hand off from coach or reaching for a high pass her facial expression showed concentration.  Focus and effort in practice leads to positive results in games.

I guess I should have known she'd be one of the stars out on the field.  But I didn't.  Not until I started studying stats.  And then I thought, "Of course!" 

Deidra at team meeting with her son.
I still don't know his name. 

Deidra bring s her son to practices.  I like his total involvement.  I wonder if someday he'll write an essay for an English class:  "My Mom is a Football Star."  If so, it won't just be a proud son bragging.  He'll have the stats to prove it.

I'm going to spend more time browsing stats and, in future posts, offering profound insights about what I find.