The Boston Renegades are recognized as “Team of the Month” in the October issue of She Plays Kids digital magazine. Chanté Bonds is spotlighted for her MVP winning performance in the 2022 WFA Pro National Championship Game.
It is the mission of She Plays to “bring awareness, engagement and support for womxn in sports” though their sports news website, podcasts, e-mail newsletter, and digital kids magazine, as well social media channels.
She plays Team of the Month
Our team of the month is the Boston Renegades, the winner of the 2022 Women’s Football Alliance Pro National Championship! This women’s tackle football team has been turning heads and setting records since 2015. Read on for the details on the WFA, the Renegades, and Game MVP Chanté Bonds.
The Women’s Football Alliance, a league for women’s full-contact tackle American football, was founded in 2009. It’s divided into three divisions: Pro, Division 2, and Division 3. Across all three divisions, there were 64 teams active for the 2022 season. The league also coordinates the WFA International Program, which organizes games between its own all-star teams (Team United and Team World) and teams from around the globe.
The Renegades have been a powerful force in the WFA since their very first season. 2022 marks their fourth straight national title (a feat that no NFL team has ever achieved) and their seventh national title overall. One highlight of the season was when wide receiver Adrienne Smith became the all-time leader in receiving yards in the WFA. Another cool moment was when defensive back Chanté Bonds stepped in for injured quarterback Allison Cahill, to great success.
In July, the Renegades beat the Minnesota Vixen 32–12 to win the 2022 WFA Pro National Championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium stadium in Canton, Ohio. The game was broadcast on ESPN2, a first for the WFA that will hopefully lead to increased media attention for women’s tackle football in future seasons.
A MESSAGE FROM CHANTÉ BONDS
Playing sports has been the most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life. I’ve met many amazing friends through sport, traveled the world, and overall, became a better person because of the life lessons I’ve learned through sports. Winning is just the icing on the cake! As long as you give everything you have in every practice and in every game, you are a winner.
Chanté Bonds has been playing for the Renegades since their first season in 2015 and for other WFA teams since 2010. The 2022 Championship game wasn’t the first time that she has stepped in as quarterback for Cahill to lead her team to victory. When Cahill injured her shoulder in 2016, Bonds took over to help the Renegades reach the conference finals. For the repeat performance this year, Bonds was named the 2022 Championship Game MVP.
It’s also important to note that Bonds has a second career outside of football, as a teacher. She is the head of the math department at a public high school in Boston. Her teammate Sam McKay is a full-time senior account manager, and other Renegades players have careers as business owners, athletic trainers, and more. We need more funding for women’s sports so that athletes can afford to focus on their sport the way their male counterparts do, but it’s still pretty amazing to see these athletes doing it all!
The WFA’s 2023 season will begin in April, featuring at least a dozen new expansion teams hitting the field. The Renegades will play their home games at Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere, Massachusetts. Many people don’t even know that the WFA or women’s tackle football even exists, much less that the league is growing and thriving. But teams like the Renegades are determined to make us sit up and take notice!