Baseball might be America’s national pastime, but today, most would say that football has captured America’s attention. With its proud tradition, the adrenaline-pumping action, and the dramatic endings, football is certainly here to stay.
Just like previous generations, children all across the country are growing up playing football with their friends in the backyard. While some go on to play in school before continuing to the higher leagues, for many dedicated fans of the game their participation often ends in the backyard.
Unfortunately, female football players across the United States find their football careers are over before they even really began. There is one organization, however, that is seeking to change this.
The Woman’s Football Alliance (WFA) is the largest, longest-running, and most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world. Although many leagues have come and gone, none have the brand recognition and staying power that the WFA has.
Founded in 2009, WFA has remained steadfast in its commitment to growing female tackle football across the United States. With strategic corporate sponsorships, revenue has been reinvested back into the league, allowing new teams to blossom across the country. It also utilizes a rewards program and national media partnerships, so the WFA can maximize each team’s exposure and grow the game as a whole.
The league is made up of three divisions: WFA Pro, Division Two and Division Three. Teams can move up into higher divisions as their brand, sponsorships and fan attendance grow. As the teams rise, the competition becomes fiercer.
Trailblazing is nothing new for the WFA. Its list of achievements is long, and includes being the first women’s football league to play a national championship in an NFL stadium, the first league to secure a multiyear television network deal with ESPN, the first league to have MVP jerseys displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and first league to partner with the NFL Alumni. Many of the WFA alumni have gone on to hold coaching and scouting positions in the NFL.
The Indiana Valor will play its inaugural season from April to July of 2025, and will surely represent the Hoosier state with pride. Brittany Korreck, a Johnson County native and Center Grove graduate, will join the Valor this season as a wide receiver.
Korreck has been an athlete her entire life, playing soccer throughout high school and at Ball State. Through it all, football remained her true passion.
“Despite playing soccer pretty much my whole life, football has actually been my favorite sport, “ Korreck says. “Growing up in the neighborhood, I used to be the only girl that would play football with the boys. As I got older I still enjoyed it very much, but it was never an option to play on an all-women’s team.”
Korreck heard about the Valor through a few friends who suggested that, given her athletic background and passion for football, she look into the team. After a rigorous tryout process, she was invited to join the team.
The Indiana Valor currently plays in Division Two, and like many teams in the WFA, is semiprofessional, which means they do not get paid. Korreck works as an administrative assistant at a law firm, as well as a soccer coach at Mooresville High School. No matter the obstacles, she remains steadfast in her dedication to the Valor and her teammates.
“I couldn’t be more blessed,” Korreck says. “It has become like a sisterhood, and I know that these girls have my back on and off the field. We have a very strong bond that we’ve created, especially those of us who have been here for several months. It’s really exciting to pave the way for future women in the sport.”
The team has four practices a week, two in person and two virtually. During these practices they train their minds and bodies to the peak of their potential, taking nothing for granted and earning each opportunity to play.
Although 2025 will be the first season for the Valor, Korreck and her teammates are ready for the challenge. With a committed team of coaches, the Valor see no limit to what they can achieve.
“Honestly, if we keep it up at this pace I could see us being one of the top teams in the entire league,” Korreck says. “Our owner, race-car driver and author, Kristian Aleixo, and our coaches have the highest expectations for us and we don’t train lightly, mentally or physically. We are trying to be the absolute best.”
Even though Valor are just beginning, the WFA has been gaining ground for years. Women’s tackle football is rapidly taking root across the United States, gaining in popularity and viewership each year.
If you would like more information about the WFA or Indiana Valor, visit their website at wfaprofootball.com/team/indiana-valor, follow them on social media, or come out to one of their games this season.
