Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-10
.'Rillingsn'
FEMALE FOOT-BALLISTS.
Frisco Has a Pair of Petticoated Elevens in
Practfce.


Half a hundred young women and girls
Of assorted sizes kicked great ragged
holes in the ground and in the air at
Central Park. says the San Francisco
Chronicle. Some sat down now and then
with more violence than grace, and occa-
slonally an over-enthusiastlc maiien
stood on her nose in the sand. They
were trying to play football. go-as-you-
please rules and the exhibition was
fraught with much joy.
But few OF the girls had ever played
football before. None OF them knew
what was required Of them when they
called at the park in response to the ad-
vertisement, Wanted a number Of active
girls at Central Park"
They soon found out and the more
timorous maidens fed in wild dismay.
A few escaped gracefully by expressing
belief that they were not heavy enough
for the business or that their hair was
not long enough. One tall, handsome
brunette in stylish attire tripped into the
park and gaZed around with the conf
dent air of a person who felt that she
was active enough for the ordinary re-
qurements OF life. But when she saw
another pretty girl kick her own hat of
I'm frantic effort to make a goal the
remark that "she didn't want any high
kicking in hers" The others did, how
ever, when once they got started, and 1t
was only by taking the ball away that
they could be prevailed upon to stop.
In view OF the prevailing football craze
ID. r. Mcneil thinks It would be a good
idea to organize n couple Of lady elevens
and thus keep abreast OF the popular de-
mand. The game yesterday was only an
-. -Fwfs
would meet with in kicking the leather
sphere Little or no damage was done
to the bail, but there was kicking enough
and to spare select few who were al
lowed TO witness the performance were
unanimous In their opinion that female
football will thrive.
1t required time as we'll as diplomacy
TO get the girls started In order that an
expert on hand for that purpose could
Judge of their qualifications for the
coming contest. Big girls and little girls
in short dresses. thin girls and fat ones
answered the advertisement for active
young women" They were all modest,
well dressed, and well behaved. but the
prospects of a steady football Job for
the winter did not seem TO strike their
fancy at first. Ii took considerable
coaxing to get some OF them into the
park.
IF you don't want TO play you can sit
down and look on Mcneil would say,
throwing his whiskers into frenzy with
a smile intended to be reassuring.
In this manner about fifty girls were
induced TO take seats In the front row,
while number OF young men kicked the
ball around to give them an idea of how
the thing was done. Gradually they be-
came interested, and when a couple Of
coachers clad in football costume called
for volunteers a lot of the smaller girls
responded.
An association ball was thrown out
for the girls to kick at. And that is what
they did-kicked at the ball and missed
IT, The air offered little or no resistance
10 vigorous kick, and not infrequently
the maidens landed on their backs in a
herculean effort to land their toes against
the ball. In the start of the coachers
ranged the girls up in regular football
form They thought at first they must
stand in their tracks and blaze away at
the ball whenever II came that way.
Gradually they caught the spirit OF the
play They rushed the lines and the bali
got lost In a tangle OF feet and skirts.
Then some one kicked 1t probably with
her heel, and the ball started across the
lot with rosy-cheeked girl holding her
hat with one hand and her petticoats
with the others In wild pursuit Nine
times out of ten she either missed the
ball or jabbed her toes into the ground.
IL she didn't do that she kicked herself
and fell down.
The futile efforts OF the players to reach
the right spot with their toes excited the
group OF girls In the stand. "Pshaw," one
would exclaim, II can do better than that
myselfr' Then of would come the hat
and wrap, and away she went 10 join tho
sport. In ten minutes the entire crowd
was mixed up. and some marvellous kick
ers and sprinters were developed. For a
straightaway kick the heavy girls were
the best They had power behind their
toes. but the little ones were the best
sprinters.
One small miss in a yachting cap, short
skirts, and with a long braid hanging
down her back, could run like deer. She
Is kicker, too. and will probably be
made captain OF one OF the teams. An
other short maiden I'm blue developed a
latent streak OF football talent. She fire.
quently carried herself of the ground In
n kick that missed connections. but al
ways landed right side up. II took but a
short time for the girls to catch the drift
OF the game.
They enjoyed II hugely. and McNeill will
have no trouble In securing all the talent
he wants. The requisite number Of right
and left guards. tackles. half backs. full
backs. and whole backs viii be selected
which comes on In the near future. APP
propriate costumes ara to b provided for
The girls 70 practices ~