Andra Douglas was a girl from Florida who had a passion for football. Always being told she doesn’t belong in sports, Douglas persisted and found her own way into the football world. She shares her many struggles along the road in her book Black & Blue: Love, Sports, and the Art of Empowerment. Now she has owned a professional football team and helping other women fulfill their lifelong dreams.
Where did your love of sports, particularly football, begin?
My father was an avid football fan and taught me at a young age to love the game by taking me to watch the Florida Gators and the Miami Dolphins, as well as the high school games in my town. He was so into it and made the game fun! He taught me how to throw and spent hours in the yard playing catch with me. He also did this with basketball and baseball but I fell in love with football!
What was the hardest moment of your life and how did you get through it?
When my mom passed away last September. I am still wading through the thick of it. Focusing on my passions — football, art, writing — helps me keep my mind from constantly wandering back to the loss.
Much progress has been done, but a lot still needs to be done. What is one thing you would like to see to happen? Where do you hope to see women’s sports in five years?
For women’s football, there needs to be a restructuring of the best teams into one well-funded, well-run group with strong television presence in addition to print coverage that promotes the stories as well as the games.
In 5 years, I would be happy to see women playing the game without having to pay to play as is the case now. Eventually, I would hope that women players make great salaries like the men do today. The skill level of the women is good now but would be off the charts if they were able to study and practice every day like the boys do in college and the men do in the pros.
What is your advice for someone who is being told they can’t do something simply because of their gender, sexual orientation or how they look?
It’s hurtful to hear ‘no’ because of gender, sexual orientation or how one looks. For me it was hard to keep putting myself out there, but anyone with dreams has to do that. Pretty soon you realize that you aren’t alone in your struggles. That’s a warm feeling.
You have a new book “Black and Blue” chronicles your journey from a young girl in the South to where you are now. What made you decide to want to share your story?
All magic should be shared. My story is magic because it’s a living testament that anyone who perseveres ultimately does win—even if it’s not exactly the way they dreamed. So many don’t realize that it’s usually up to them to make things happen. I share my story to inspire others, male and female, to persevere. Make it happen –whatever it may be!
You talk about being in NY and meeting other females who like to play football. What was that moment like when you realized you weren’t alone?
When tryouts were offered for the NY Sharks, the women who showed up to play said they had “always wanted to play football but there wasn’t a team for girls” Like myself, many were turned away from playing on the boys’ teams. So, it was a wonderful confirmation of my belief that there were many, many women who had always wanted to play but never got the chance. That was always part of my frustration because girls and women were kept from playing due to societal standards and stigmas. Had opportunities to play been given, the number of female participants would have been much, much larger.
You are the founder of Fins UP! Foundation for Female Athletics. What is the mission of the organization?
Our mission is to provide the opportunity for “at-risk” girls under the age of 18 to learn the sport of football and the essential life skills that come along with participating in team sports. We were pioneers in offering football camps for girls and partnered with the NFL and the NY Giants to produce the first ever NFL Junior Player Development Program for girls which was held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.
You are now the owner of the New York Sharks. What is that experience like?
Buying the team was the hardest yet most rewarding decision I’ve ever made. Before I sold the team last year, life in women’s sports was only mildly better than when I purchased the franchise in 2000. In the beginning, the rewards were more about suiting up and getting on the field. Now, as the game for women has progressed, the joy is also in watching good football be played by women, many of whom don’t even know the ‘no’s’ we experienced 20 years ago.
What would you say now to all those people who doubted you?
I’m not sure people doubted me as much as they were locked into the pigeon-holes that society automatically plugs women and girls into. It was hard for them to imagine things that didn’t exist—like a women’s pro tackle football team! Many have told me that they weren’t surprised by the pioneering efforts I made for women in sports — so, it wasn’t doubt as much as minds that weren’t open or creative enough.
What is your best advice to people who want to live their dreams?
Keep looking for the way! It’s there! Persevere and always question those who tell you ‘no.’ Often it’s about their own stuff and has nothing to do with you.
ANDRA DOUGLAS is the author of BLACK AND BLUE. A native of central Florida and a graduate of Florida State University and Pratt Institute, she is a national champion athlete in rugby and women’s tackle football, was the owner of the New York Sharks Women’s Pro Football team for nineteen years, and is the founder of the Fins Up! Foundation for Female Athletes, a non-profit to benefit at-risk teens. In addition to her love of football, Andra Douglas is a professional artist and served as a Vice President/Creative Director at Time Warner for many years. Today, she lives with her parrot, ‘Pie’ in New York’s Greenwich Village where she creates mixed-media artwork. To learn more, visit: www.andradouglasart.com.
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