Law Firm By Day, Tackle Football By Night

DC Divas

Working at a law firm is a time-consuming job in itself; for Sterne Kessler's Shannon Whitehead, it's just part of a week that also includes practicing and playing full-contact football.

Shannon's an offensive guard for the District's female tackle football team, the DC Divas. The team's the first in the Women's Football Alliance to be back-to-back national champs, after winning last weekend's 2016 WFA championship.

The Divas have also met the Obamas at the White House and have a documentary about them debuting at Sundance this fall. (They watched a preview of the film a few weeks ago, and hope to take the entire team out to the film festival in Colorado.)

DC Divas

"It's like a second family," Shannon says. They spend about 10 to 15 hours a week practicing together, followed by games on the weekends. On top of that are hours spent studying plays and watching film of practices and games.

Shannon also attends training camps, most recently one in March hosted by the New Orleans Saints. She's planning on trying out for the USA Football's 45-member Women's National Team, which competes against international teams every four years.

Unlike the hefty salaries of NFL teams, WFA teams are entirely unpaid. Each player has a day job, which Shannon tells us run the gamut: a detective, teachers, IT professionals. She's a billing specialist for Sterne Kessler. Shannon's been playing for two years (coincidentally, or maybe not, the two the team won the championship) but others have played for more than a decade.

She hopes to pave the way for other women and girls who want to play football. "When given the chance, women can play this game as well as men can."

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Washington, D.C. Newsletters
Related Stories

D.C.'s Office Market Is Getting A Makeover

Judge Rules FBI Can't Scrap Maryland Headquarters Plan

CGI Merchant Had A-Rod's Backing And A $650M Fund. Then It Bought Trump's D.C. Hotel And It All Fell Apart

Brookfield Offloads 3-Building Silver Spring Office Complex

Student Housing Investor Buys Foggy Bottom Residences: The D.C. Deal Sheet

'We Messed Up With Rent Control': CRE Execs On MoCo's Multifamily Hurdle

New National Geographic Museum Food Hall By Winmar Blends Design With Elevated Dining

Commanders Pick Clark Construction, 2 Others To Build D.C. NFL Stadium

Maryland ICE Facility Construction Can Resume After Court Reinstates Permits

JBG Smith Says Loss Is Improbable From $356M Wardman Tower Ruling

Compass Coffee Says It Lacks Cash For Bankruptcy Plan, Seeks To Toss Case

PRP Buys Downtown Office Building From Tishman Speyer