GREENSBORO, N.C. — A North Carolina women’s tackle football team is encouraging the public to overcome its stereotypes about the sport. 

What You Need To Know 

The Carolina Phoenix is a Division 2 women’s tackle football team based in the Triad 

According to the Women’s Football Alliance, the growing sport has been around for more than 40 years, with teams spread out across the country 

"It’s not a boy sport," player Morgan Towe said

The Carolina Phoenix is a Division 2 women’s tackle football team based in the Triad. According to the Women’s Football Alliance, the growing sport has been around for more than 40 years, with teams spread out across the country. 

Morgan Towe plays center for the Carolina Phoenix and said playing football was not in her original game plan. She joined the team because a coach approached her and asked if she had ever thought about playing.

“I was like, no, because that’s a boy sport, and he was like you look like you could do some damage,” Towe said. “I was like alright, let’s do it. I showed up to practice, and that was the end. It’s not a boy sport.” 

Towe said this is her second season with the team. Their practices are intense and filled with conditioning, drills and plays. She said these women are real athletes, and her sport does not get the respect it deserves. 

“Most boys who play football start playing football when they’re 4 or 5 years old. We don’t have that foundation to build on, so we have to build our own foundation. We have to start at the bottom as adult women and grow from there, and that’s a lot harder than people think,” Towe said. 

The Carolina Phoenix will play their first game of the season in Baltimore on April 22. They will play their first home game of the season in Greensboro on April 29.