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BUFFALO, N.Y. — In just a short time, a professional women’s tackle football team in Western New York made a lasting impact on the community. But what does the future hold for the sport?
"It’s so huge down south. It’s huge," emphasized Buffalo Yetis co-founder Jeronica Davis. "So we wanted to bring that up here and blow Buffalo’s mind."
He and his brother Julius are pursuing a dream of bringing a professional tackle football team to Buffalo.
"It was a no brainer for us, having daughters," Jeronica added. "My daughter is 16. My niece is 3. It gives them that opportunity. Now the door is open for them."
The world of professional sports for women is hitting new strides daily.
"I wanted to give it to give her an opportunity to play," said Julius, talking about his daughter.
It helps that there’s momentum with flag football becoming recognized in high school programs through the state.
"Football is 90% mental, 10% physical. So I believe flag football, it allows you to learn the techniques of football," noted Julius. "It allows you to prep yourself for the necessary needs to become a great athlete in professional football."
Julius and Jeronica are fully invested in giving Western New York’s ladies a pro team to aspire to, but there are still plenty of hurdles from fundraising and league affiliation to tackle to get the Yetis up and running, catching and kicking.
"That’s what it takes, you know, I mean, we could sit here, just send emails and wait for somebody respond back to us, but that won’t work," said Jeronica. "If the [Buffalo] Bills were to play here and I go play for the Bills, one day like you’re going to me [to] give that familiarity."
For now, the brothers say there is more than enough initial interest from potential players and most importantly, female staff that will include coaches, training and medical staff. This comes as Buffalo is reflecting on the Buffalo All-Stars team of the 1970s.
"It’s actually going to encourage a lot of women," he said. "Because the fact [that] it was here before, you know, we could build off that."
"The more teams that come about, the more competition it is. I want to get to the level where the WNBA is like," said Jeronica. "One day, hopefully, we can get that far. Like, you know, I mean, it seemed like it’s moving towards that way."
The Davis brothers are currently working to secure funding and municipal help.
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