Sidelined No More, Soccer Moms Lace Up

Women Get Time On the Field and Of Their Own

The soccer moms of the 1990s, the swath of suburban women heavily courted by SUV manufacturers and driven to prominence by politicians, might be a thing of the past.

Sure, armed with orange slices and sports drinks, they still shuttle their children to and from athletic events. They still wield the purchasing power that makes them such a targeted consumer group. And maybe, maybe , they still sport T-shirts with slogans such as: "I don't have a life. My kid plays soccer."

But now, at least at the Soccerdome in Jessup, soccer moms have left the sidelines and taken to the field.

They are the Red Hot Mamas and the Mama Mania. The Hot Flashes and the Neon Flash. The Luna Ticks and the Chitas. Collectively, the Friday night indoor soccer league is known as the Soccer Moms. But being a mother is not a prerequisite. The league stipulates only that players must be older than 25 and can't have played college ball in the past five years. Still, most of the players have children, and that bond sets the tone.

"When we have women who really take it seriously, we talk to them," said Diane Fischer of Ellicott City, 52, who dubs herself "the old mama" among her Red Hot Mamas teammates. "We say: We want to win -- we're competitive -- but, we don't want to get our legs broken. We still have to get the kids to and from school."

Fischer watched her children play soccer but never played before joining Soccer Moms. Although she isn't fiercely physical, she's fiercely protective of what she calls her "hour."

"Don't mess with my one hour every Friday night. It's our Friday night; it's our one hour. The kids and the husbands can come watch us, or they don't have to come -- it's just our time to have a good time," she said.

The notion of women carving out a time on the field just for themselves has helped the league gain momentum. Before the Soccerdome opened, about eight teams played at the Volleyball House in Columbia. That number has more than doubled to 18, with more than 180 players.

"It's one of our strongest leagues," said Clif Everett, president of the privately owned Soccerdome, which also hosts dozens of children's recreation leagues as well as the Soccer Dads League.

The strong interest among moms was a driving force in the decision to open a Soccerdome in Anne Arundel County, Everett said. That opening is scheduled for early November.

Only four slots are left for teams looking to play at the new Soccerdome, Everett said. Meanwhile, there's a waiting list for teams at the Jessup Soccerdome.

Soccer moms say their status as players gives them an "in" with their kids -- or at least a better understanding of the game their children play.