In the US and Canada, powderpuff refers to flag football or touch football games involving girls from different school grades or rival schools. These games, akin to traditional football but played by girls, are often part of charitable events or fundraisers where ticket and concession sales contribute to causes like charity, senior class activities, or school dances.
This tradition, found in many high schools and universities, takes its name from the soft powder puff used for applying face powder. Typically held before homecoming, these events have become an annual tradition, fostering camaraderie and spirited competition among students.
History
The origins of the first powderpuff football game remain a bit unclear, but there’s evidence of it being played as far back as 1931 at Western State College of Colorado, now known as Western State Colorado University, in Gunnison, Colorado.
A well-documented powderpuff football game took place on October 20, 1945, at Eastern State Teachers College in Madison, South Dakota. This event unfolded after Eastern had suspended numerous campus activities, including the annual homecoming celebration and intercollegiate sports like football, due to the impact of World War II.
Following Japan’s unconditional surrender on September 2, 1945, marking the end of the war, Eastern was ready to resume its Homecoming traditions. However, the typical football game seemed impossible as only three men had enrolled due to the wartime military draft.
In this void, Susie Lowry, a freshman at Eastern that year, recalled the brainstorming that followed gym class: “We realized if there was going to be a Homecoming, we needed a football game. So, we decided to have our own game.” Despite initial skepticism about women playing football, Robert C. Nelles, another freshman at Eastern, wrote about the unconventional idea in the History of Lake County. Nevertheless, the Homecoming committee approved the game with an all-female lineup, paving the way for a groundbreaking event.
At that time, female students at Eastern fell into two categories: those from Madison, attending classes while living at home, and others from nearby towns residing in the dorms. Out of the 230 girls eager to play football, they split into two teams: the Townies and the Dormies. On game day, these teams adopted Eastern’s school colors, playing as the Blue and Gold teams, respectively.
Leota Van Ornum, Eastern’s physical education teacher, took charge as the coach for both squads, with Robert Ormseth, a local high school coach, assisting her. The game drew significant interest and excitement from spectators, noted by The Eastern, the campus newspaper. The 23 players on the field made up nearly half of Eastern’s 53-person enrollment that term. Interestingly, Robert Nelles and Paul Tommeraasen, two of the only three male students on campus, stepped in as game officials.
Samaha Bowl
In 1972, Wallingford, Connecticut, witnessed the birth of the modern powderpuff football game. Judy Samaha, a dedicated physical education teacher and coach at Mark T. Sheehan High School, initiated this sport as a means to involve more girls in athletic pursuits. She orchestrated a spirited match between Sheehan and Lyman Hall High School, the long-standing rivals, marking the inception of an enduring tradition.
Since then, powderpuff football has flourished across the nation, transcending states from Connecticut to California, Texas, and Florida. The Samaha Bowl, an annual event, continues to thrive, taking place on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and holding the distinction of being the country’s oldest-running powderpuff game.
This tradition found footing in Massachusetts, where schools like Pope John XXIII High School pitted underclass girls against their upperclass counterparts. The legacy lives on in schools like Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, which hosts an annual game the day before Thanksgiving, and St. David’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina, drawing crowds for an electrifying nighttime spectacle.
Each school has carved its own traditions in the powderpuff game realm. From customized team T-shirts to motivational pre-game speeches and halftime showcases featuring male participants donning cheerleader outfits, these unique touches enhance the event’s excitement and engagement for students.
Gender roles
Powderpuff games have encountered criticism for perpetuating gender stereotypes. Concerns raised by teachers and parents highlight the perceived negative portrayal of women’s athletic prowess. The term “powderpuff” itself implies fragility and restricts girls to flag football, fueling the belief that they are only suited for a non-contact sport.
Critics argue that girls should have the freedom to engage in football without the need for a separate event, implying that creating a spectacle specifically for female participation in a traditionally male-dominated sport undermines the genuine capabilities of female athletes.
Violence
Powderpuff games have faced criticism for fostering peer violence, notably in instances where junior girls experienced hazing at the hands of the senior class in certain schools. A distressing incident occurred in 2003 when two Chicago-area high schools saw hazing that resulted in five girls being hospitalized. School authorities clarified that the game was not an officially endorsed event, as the school neither supported, organized, nor was aware of the occurrence.
Blondes vs. brunettes Fundraising football
The Blondes vs. Brunettes powderpuff football game is a charitable event held in various US cities, with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. Sara Allen Abbott initiated these annual contests following the passing of her father, Texas State Representative Joseph Hugh Allen, due to Alzheimer’s disease in 2008. In honor of her father’s passion for football and as a means to support the Alzheimer’s Association, Abbott organized this powderpuff football game to raise funds for the cause.
In the autumn of 2005, the inaugural Blondes vs. Brunettes powderpuff football game took place at Hains Point in Washington, D.C., successfully raising $10,000. Afterwards, the event sought a more suitable location and relocated across various spots in the Washington, D.C., vicinity before finding its permanent home at George Washington University’s Mount Vernon Athletic Field in 2009. This game garnered extensive attention, featured in prominent articles by The Washington Post and local TV stations, and has amassed over $500,000 in donations within the national capital area. Currently hosted in 16 cities across the United States, the Blondes vs. Brunettes Charity Football aims for further expansion, aspiring to establish a grand “Blondes vs. Brunettes Super Bowl.”
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Rules on hair color
The regulations for these games don’t specify natural hair color requirements, often allowing many girls on the blonde team to sport dyed hair.
Blonde versus brunette rivalry
The “blonde versus brunette” rivalry portrays an ongoing or perceived rivalry between women with blonde hair and those with brown hair, often referred to as brunettes. This rivalry, attributed to the distinctive hair colors, is occasionally depicted in popular culture and everyday discourse, where the terms “blonde” and “brunette” are sometimes employed as nouns to categorize women based on their hair color. This concept of rivalry serves as a common fictional motif in literature, magazine features, movies, and television shows.
Competitive events
An intriguing competitive spectacle emerged in 2011 with the advent of the blonde vs. brunette chess matches during the World Chess Tournament held in Moscow. Organized by the Botvinnik Central Chess Club, this unique event showcased two teams comprising young girls, with blondes donning light-colored attire and brunettes clad in dark colors. The playful division of teams mirrored the contrast of light and dark pieces in the game of chess. Each participant had to demonstrate a certain level of skill to qualify.
In its debut in 2011, the brunettes claimed victory and continued their winning streak in 2016, 2018, and 2019. Conversely, the team of blondes emerged triumphant in 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017. Notably, the 2013 match, also hosted at the Central Chess Club, concluded with a tied score between the two teams.
The rivalry between blondes and brunettes in American society traces its roots back to at least 1875 when the initial female professional baseball players were assigned to teams based on their hair colour. This historical aspect of the rivalry is highlighted by baseball historian John Thorn, who noted blonde and brunette baseball teams touring the country during the late 1800s.
Further evidence of this rivalry’s existence emerges through various events over time. In 1924, a newspaper article referenced a female swimming meet featuring a “blonde vs. brunette” relay race, won by the blondes. A more contemporary example is the charity-driven gridiron football game called “blondes vs. brunettes powderpuff football,” commencing in Washington D.C. in 2005 and now played across 16 US cities, garnering significant media coverage, including feature articles in The Washington Post.
Moreover, in some instances, teams comprising both blondes and brunettes have competed against each other. Notably, Anson Dorrance, the women’s soccer coach at the University of North Carolina, implemented a “blondes vs. brunettes drill” within his team, emphasizing pride and motivation as driving forces for his female athletes.
The rivalry’s scope expanded beyond traditional sports to include tug-of-war events. Dating back to a 1918 Ohio picnic, a tug-of-war contest saw the blondes emerge victorious, humorously described as they “stripped the brunettes off the rope against a tree like beads off a string.” Even in 1978, sports writer Pete Axthelm officiated a tug-of-war between teams of blonde and brunette women at a Kentucky charity event, declaring the blondes, led by Anita Madden, as the event winners.