By day, they’re lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs and physical therapists. But on the gridiron, it’s all football for the Boston Renegades, Massachusetts’ semi-professional women’s football team. Boasting a 3-0 record this season, the three-time national champions are hungry for number four.
The Renegades compete in the Women’s Football Alliance, a league of 65 semi-professional teams from across the country playing full-contact tackle football. Three years ago the team rebranded from the Boston Militia after owner Ernie Boch, Jr. dropped out, and has been self-funded ever since.
The Renegades come from all types of professions and backgrounds, many of them rooted in sports. Most are former college athletes or women who played club sports, itching for another physical outlet. The one consistency? They all love the game.
Since they’re paying their own way, they have to.
“It’s a very expensive part-time job,” Brooke Goodman, who plays on the defensive line, joked. “But anybody on the team would agree that it’s worth it.”
Outside of football, Goodman works in analytical development for biotech company Moderna Therapeutics. Despite being no stranger to competing at a high level – she played soccer in college – Goodman described playing football as “completely different experience” than anything else she’s done.
“This is just on another level,” she said. “This is all just purely your own commitment to the team.”
The bond the women share is the heart of the Boston Renegades. Their dedication to each other extends well beyond four quarters, providing support on the field and in their personal and professional lives.