Amanda Douglas is February's Valkyrie of the Month.  Here is her story:

My favorite Valkyrie experience was my first game with the team. We were in Chicago. It was fall and raining. The downpour was steady and not a light sprinkle. There were deep puddles resembling small lakes everywhere. The extra water just kept coming throughout both the A side and B side games. A few players even worried about getting tackled in some some places for fear of drowning. Ball handling was especially difficult since it was slippery and kept squirting out of everyone's hands. Everyone including fans and coaches were completely soaked and standing in ankle deep water. Not a single person had dry feet that day. 

January's Valkyrie of the Month is Sarah Roehl.  This is her story.

It was early fall 2001 and I was a wee-fresh new freshman (the freshest) on the Loyola University Chicago Campus. Bored with my new workload (clearly not in high school anymore), I toured the organizational fair in hopes of finally being able to follow my dream of becoming a world-class rower by starting on the Loyola Crew team (which actually didn't exist). 

December's Valkyrie of the Month is Hannah Stolba.  This is her story.

I

have been playing for the Minnesota Valkyries for five years now.  I started in 2004, I believe, but that could be wrong because seasons tend to run together after you have been playing for awhile.  My first season was a wonderful disaster.  Our coach decided to turn me into a flyhalf. Fabulous. Sign me up. What does a flyhalf do, Barb?

by Jenny Menke

Although she retired a year ago, Carla Fredrick (who played with the Valkyries from 2004 to 2008) can still be found on the pitch most game days.  Now, however, she is behind a telephoto lens, shooting sequences of shots for her website, www.shootingthegap.com.  The site, started in 2009, focuses on women's and girl's rugby matches, but also includes galleries such as “nature” and “other.” Nadine “Nader” Barten, another former rugby player who played with the University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse from 1994 to 2000, joins Carla Fredrick as a contributor for the site.  Currently the head coach of Macalester’s women’s rugby team, Nader acknowledges that her experience with the sport has helped her capture the spirit of the athletes: “Field perspective and knowing the game with anticipating the best options make for super photos!”  Few athletes have access to action shots such as these; the quality of Carla and Nader’s work is distinguished and worth a look.  4x6 prints start at $0.50, with merchandise such as keychains, mugs, and t-shirts also available for purchase. You may contact ShootingTheGap at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

source: www.erugbynews.com

Rugby Becomes Call's Calling

Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 in Women Clubs

(photo by Carla Frederick.)

By Jackie Finlan

Since when is a sabbatical a boon to your rugby game? When you’ve spent the last two years training with the USA Bobsledding team.   That’s how it worked out for Tracy Call. Call returned to rugby this fall after a two-year hiatus, but instead of rejoining her DII club, Minneapolis Menagerie, she inquired into Women’s Premier League team Minnesota Valkyries. After two weeks of practice, she was playing wing against Berkeley, and last week she scored two tries against ORSU.

“I just thought it would be cool to ride in a bobsled,” Call said. “I had no aspirations toward the national team or the Olympics.”

by Jenny Menke

September's Valkyrie of the Month is Libby Berg.  This is her story: 

I got involved with rugby because of my dad (well, my parents).  My brother and I are second-generation rugby players; my dad has been playing rugby all my life and then some.  My parents met through rugby.  My mom says on the pitch, my dad says at the bar – it depends on the story – but either way, being a rugby player was bound to happen from that combination.  For as long as I can remember, every spring and fall Saturday or Sunday have been dedicated to rugby.  We would pack up our car and head to some random city, so my dad could play rugby.  Usually my brother and I would end up at a park, not even paying attention to the game, but my attention started to change in my teens. 

August's Valkyrie of the Month is Lauren Felton.  Here is her story.

I got involved with rugby in college because I missed playing a competitive sport and all of the team camaraderie that went along with it. At first I was a little hesitant to play, but thanks to Kristy Lear (my college roommate who made me go to practice with her all spring!), soon enough I was having a blast playing.

Jenny Menke is July 2009's Valkyrie of the Month.  Here is her story.

Non-rugby players are often amused when I tell them why I left California five years ago and moved out to Minnesota.  Rugby players routinely understand.

I was living in Los Angeles and had played with the UCLA women’s team for two years when, in 2004, the Bruins decided that they could better serve the university community as a collegiate team.  Two of my teammates in Southern California planned to return to the Midwest to be closer to their families and suggested I join them and continue playing out in Minnesota.  

I first saw rugby while doing some outdoor instructor work in New Zealand.  I didn't have a clue how the game worked and when the All Blacks second team (they were at our center for corporate team building activities) challenged our staff to a game of touch; I was called 'the bloody American.'  What can I say - American football and diving for that 'extra yard' was engrained in my mind - how was I supposed to know that was a turnover?!  It was another two years after returning to Minnesota before I learned organized rugby existed here.  My good friend Doug Byrnes, after a few pick-up evenings with the Metropolis crew at Hamline's gym, insisted I talk to my now coach, Barb Fugate.  Before he'd put us in contact, I was approached one day during practice by Barb, and told I had to move my team out of my gym (I was the JV basketball coach at the time).  To this day, I still have no idea how Barb swiped my gym time out from under our University team's shoes...but she did.  After a greeting exchange that afternoon, and a lunch a few days later, I decided to check out a practice.  I was hooked on the sport before the end of the first drill...