Richmond may have cycled through a half-dozen arena football teams since the turn of the century and saw the Washington Commanders NFL training camp come and go, but one gridiron sport has remained constant in the river city for nearly a decade: women’s tackle football.
The region’s first team was the Richmond Black Widows, founded in 2015. The River City Sting are marking a half-decade of play this year, and the RVA Lady Tomahawks were launched in 2023. The three teams are in different leagues with varying rules, but they all offer satisfying gameplay for fans eager to keep up with football during professional and college teams’ offseasons. And, like other local teams, these organizations work just as hard off the field at building a following for their sport.
“[Women’s football] definitely has a presence here,” says Keisha Pleasants, a defensive tackle for the Tomahawks. “Richmond has a lot of women’s teams, period. The teams that we’ll be playing this year are experienced, so it’s going to be some good competition.”
The Lineups
The Richmond Black Widows were formed in 2015 by Sarah Schkeeper, a New Jersey native who played with the New York Sharks from 2009 to 2013. After leaving the Sharks, Schkeeper relocated to Richmond and, discovering the city didn’t have a women’s football team, started one. The team hit the field in 2016 as part of the Women’s Football Alliance. Schkeeper has since moved away, and her mother, Liane Schkeeper, now owns the Black Widows.
“We were the first [women’s football] team here in Richmond, and it’s really exciting to see how the sport has grown in the area and in the state in general,” says Jessica Harris, the team’s chief operating officer and a former player. “Year 10 is huge for us, because a lot of teams don’t make it to year 10. It’s a milestone moment.”
Harris joined the Black Widows in the team’s first season when an acquaintance suggested she try out. “I was doing it simply to get in shape [at first],” she says. “I found out the same way most of our players and recruits do, by word of mouth, and I’ve been here ever since. It gets into your blood. You can’t help it.”
CJ James, owner of the River City Sting (Photo by Elijah Hedrick courtesy River City Sting)
For CJ James, who owns the River City Sting, football was an outlet. “In 2013, I unfortunately lost my mother to her third bout of breast cancer,” James says. “Just like anyone dealing with grief, I had a lot of trials and tribulations along the way. I actually started playing football in 2016 and fell in love with it. I was a bit shocked that I decided to do it, but in a way, it was just a great positive outlet for me to cope with everything.
“As women, we aren’t always given the opportunity to be aggressive, and as a Black woman, it’s even more so,” she adds. “So, for football to come along, that was the perfect opportunity.”
A lifelong athlete, Shebeney Jackson was one of the founding owners of the RVA Tomahawks men’s semipro team in 2017. After getting some firsthand experience playing for a women’s team in Newport News in 2022, Jackson left the gridiron and launched the Lady Tomahawks in 2023. Her husband, Jerome, is the team’s defensive coordinator and another Tomahawks owner. He and the Lady Tomahawks’ general manager and line coach, Jason Niles, played together in the past; both men were on numerous championship semipro teams and are Minor League Football Hall of Fame and Amateur Football Hall of Fame inductees.
“Football, to me, has always been an experience ... where a group of people can come together, no matter of ethnicity, religious background or anything,” Niles says. “Everybody’s out there for football, and it brings people together.”
The sentiment extends across all three teams.
“I have always valued our team as a family,” James says of the Sting. “Just being able to have that camaraderie is huge, because there are a lot of women, and just people in general, who don’t have that at home or who just need additional support. We’re here for more than just football.”
The Richmond Black Widows’ first of three home games is May 10. (Photo courtesy Richmond Black Widows)
Rules and Regs
Women’s tackle football games are largely similar to the matches men’s college and pro teams play on TV every fall: Teams field squads of 11 with familiar offensive and defensive line structure and plays. However, because Richmond’s three teams all play for different leagues, fans who go out to games will notice differences in the details when the women’s seasons kick off this month.
The Black Widows are a WFA Division 3 team. They’ll play teams from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee, among others, during their six-game season. The WFA, which has nearly 60 teams, largely follows NCAA rules.
The Lady Tomahawks and Sting have both switched leagues — and rulebooks — several times.
Year 10 is huge for us, because a lot of teams don’t make it to year 10. It’s a milestone moment.
—Jessica Harris, COO of the Richmond Black Widows
According to Niles, the Lady Tomahawks first played with NFL rules before switching to modified high school protocols. After joining the American Women’s Football League for the 2025 season, the team will follow NCAA rules with a dash of XFL-like extra-point procedures. The Lady Tomahawks will compete against teams from Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee.
The River City Sting won the United States Women’s Football League championship in their inaugural 2021 season, going undefeated. As part of the Women’s Tackle Football League, they made the championship game again in 2022 and 2024. James says they aim to do the same after joining the United States Premier Women’s Football League in 2025. A developmental league that follows a mixture of rules, the USPWFL will allow the Sting to pay players and staff as they face off against teams from Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama this year.
2024 RVA Lady Tomahawks (Photo by ShutterBanks Production)
Fielding a Team
One of the biggest challenges for all three teams is finding a place to play.
“Getting a venue is very, very hard,” the Black Widows’ Harris says. “We start that process early. Sports are geared towards the kids first, rightfully so, and sometimes that leaves us on the back burner. That’s probably been the biggest struggle, finding somewhere to practice and play.”
James says the Sting’s venue is determined by a lottery system, with youth sports taking precedence, and that the team won’t know its home field until closer to the start of the season this month.
“It’s essentially wherever we can get a field,” she says. “It varies from year to year — we’ve played at Godwin High School, Dinwiddie Sports Complex and Varina High School.”
The Lady Tomahawks currently practice at Varina, Niles says, while two of the team’s three 2025 home games will take place at Highland Springs High School. Highland Springs was also the Tomahawks’ home field last year.
See the River City Sting in action on April 26. (Photo by Elijah Hedrick courtesy River City Sting)
Paths to the Gridiron
Players have followed all kinds of routes to the rosters of the Black Widows, Sting and Lady Tomahawks. Rian Moses-Hedrick, a visual artist who also co-founded the music platform HearRVA and Richmond Music Week, came across the Sting by way of a newsletter and signed on in 2024.
“I couldn’t believe how badass they were,” Moses-Hedrick says. “I brought in a lot of my friends, just to the games. It’s crazy that I picked up a part-time job playing tackle football. I hope that we can get into more spaces. We try to do a lot of community outreach, and I’m hoping to get more younger girls into flag football and then transition into tackle football.”
Chandler Simms, who played for the Black Widows and has officiated in the area, says, “[Football] really opened up a whole new world for me. I traveled with the WFA international team, so I’ve gone around the world to help teach football and participate in clinics.”
Our players are the best advertising possible, because any female you talk to who plays — they eat, sleep and breathe this sport.
—CJ James, owner of the River City Sting
Simms played most positions during her time on the field and has remained an avid fan of the team since retiring from play. Dubbing herself the “president of the Black Widow retirees,” she helps with fundraising, getting the word out and even announcing games. “[Football] has also brought people to Richmond,” she says. “We have players who didn’t live in Richmond, and they would travel here to play. It still brings more people to the city, and they support local businesses while they’re here.”
All of the teams pride themselves on their openness and inclusiveness.
“We have so many players that have so many reasons why they’re playing,” Niles says. “We are very diverse. We have straight women, we have gay women and we have trans women. Our youngest player, because our insurance allows it, is 15 years old. Last year, our oldest player was 53. We have a diverse range of people with [diverse] experiences, and we’re very welcoming.”
Depending on the team, tryouts take place at various times of the year and are typically open to the public; anyone who identifies as a woman is welcome. The teams welcome inexperienced players, saying they learn, develop and evolve in their positions over the course of the season.
“The best part is that we’re seeing women who have never played before turning into amazing players by the end of the season,” James says. “It’s a cool thing to see the growth, investment, and to see them excited at practice, making great plays and having that support.”
The mix of experience levels from rookies to veterans contributes to well-rounded rosters. Several members of the Black Widows have been with the team for all 10 years, including Harris and three others who still play. Even the Tomahawks, who are beginning their third season, have some experienced players on the roster.
“I was able to get a lot of sacks my first game, become MVP during the season and be rookie of the year as well,” Aliyah Porter says. She’s a Tomahawks defensive end and tackle who is also learning to play tight end. “Playing football is very therapeutic, so I get to release a lot when I’m out there. … I enjoy playing with the ladies, like a big family. I go out there, I laugh, I smile and we have a good time.”
Defensive end Tylar Lawrence and her Lady Tomahawks teammates during 2024 pregame warmups (Photo by ShutterBanks Production)
‘Taking Off’
One of the teams’ shared challenges is simply getting the word out about women’s tackle football. All three rely primarily on word of mouth to promote themselves. The teams attend community events such as 804 Day in August, parades, and the Flying Squirrels’ Women and Girls in Sports Day; participate in social media; stream their games online; and are available for personal appearances.
“Our players are the best advertising possible, because any female you talk to who plays — they eat, sleep and breathe this sport,” Harris says. “It’s kind of hard not to. It gets into your veins.”
The Black Widows have been playing long enough for some of their efforts to come full circle. While DJ Thompson was playing for her elementary school team, she did a coin toss for the Black Widows; years later, she plays for the team. Harris says the Widows will celebrate those connections at the team’s last home game of the season on June 7. “We’re going to invite all of our OG players and fans,” she says. “That’s going to be a game that we play for them, and we’re going to honor them. We’ve got some awesome things in the works for that game, and this season, to pay homage to year 10 … and looking forward to the future.”
When I say I’m coaching women’s football, some people’s first question is if it’s a lingerie league. No. These women will probably take your head off.
—Jason Niles, Lady Tomahawks’ general manager and line coach
James says making sure people know about the team is its own reward. “I think it’s nice when we actually meet people in the streets and they’re like, ‘Hey, I know about you guys,’” she says. “That makes us feel great. That’s a proud moment.”
Niles notes that publicity is useful for recruiting new players — the Lady Tomahawks encourage the parents of younger players to get involved, too — as well as dispelling preconceived notions about the leagues. “When I say I’m coaching women’s football, some people’s first question is if it’s a lingerie league,” he says, alluding to the Lingerie Football League, which existed from 2009 to 2012 and has since rebranded. “No. These women will probably take your head off. It’s becoming a bigger brand.”
James agrees that women’s football is growing, pointing to the Sting’s expanding local fan base. “We’ve had our ups and downs, just like any other team, but overall, we’ve had our faithful core, and it’s nice to bring more folks into our fan base.”
Niles says the Lady Tomahawks are seeing growth as well. “Last year, we had a decent amount of fans come out to watch our games. It takes a lot of background work to try to get the word out. Our players spread the word as much as they can, and a lot of people back those players up. Women’s football is taking off.”
Richmond Black Widows 2025 Schedule
- April 26: Harrisburg Havoc (away)
- May 10: Music City Mizfits (home)
- May 17: Carolina Phoenix (home)
- May 31: Virginia Panthers (away)
- June 7: Raleigh Express (home)
- June 14: Music City Mizfits (away)
RVA Lady Tomahawks 2025 Schedule
- April 5: Tennessee Enforcers (away)
- April 12: Atlanta Phoenix (home)
- April 26: Lansing Legacy (home)
- May 3: Carolina Tigers (away)
- May 10: DMV Queens (home)
- May 17: Kalamazoo Bears (away)
- May 31: Playoffs, Wild Card Round
- June 14: Playoffs, Division Round
- June 28: Conference Championship
- July 12: Emerald Bowl
River City Sting 2025 Schedule
- April 19: Cincinnati Sizzle (away)
- April 26: Bye
- May 3: Ardmore Tigers (away)
- May 10: Gulf Coast Mystery (home)
- May 17: Cincinnati Sizzle (home)
- May 24: Bye
- May 31: Ardmore Tigers (home)
- June 7: Gulf Coast Mystery (away)
804 Mafia (Photo by Brandi Silva courtesy 804 Mafia)
Capture Some Fun
Flag football is a low-contact alternative
Local women who want to hit the gridiron but don’t necessarily want to try a tackle team have another option: flag football.
Shà Maclin founded the 804 Mafia Women’s Flag Football Team in 2022. She was looking to move from playing tackle football to an all-women’s flag team but didn’t find one in the area. She started her own, giving the group a “Godfather”-esque logo and an orange-and-black color scheme.
“I think, with the popularity [of women’s football], people have been looking for flag, and I think flag helps feed into tackle,” Maclin says. “Flag gives them an opportunity to see how they want to play, see if they know football, and then they can decide which kind of team they want to play on.”
Part of the Coastal Women’s Flag League, 804 Mafia is an eight-person contact team that currently plays at Varina High School. The positions and play are similar to standard football, but each player wears a belt with two streamer-like flags that are pulled off in lieu of tackling; players can also be downed with a two-hand touch. The league offers spring and fall seasons as well as tournaments.
Maclin says the team has grown threefold since its founding, from fewer than 10 players to the current roster of about 30. “We’ve grown quite a bit, and there’s been more and more interest as the years have come,” she adds. Flag football will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, fueling interest in the sport.
Like the tackle teams, 804 Mafia gets the word out through social media and community events. “We’ve done a lot of social events,” Maclin says. “We’ve also been involved with the youth flag leagues. A lot of our players are coaches [there], and we get to meet a lot of the parents. Some of the parents are even interested in playing.”
“If you love football, it’s just a place for you to get started,” Maclin says. “Flag is fast-paced, and it’s a lot of fun. We’ve grown so much.” —AC
Photo by Brandi Silva courtesy 804 Mafia
804 Mafia
Interested in joining the 804 Mafia or catching a game?
Open workouts and tryouts start in early June, and the team will participate in two tournaments over the summer: the Virginia Beach Invitational on June 21 and Clash at the Carolinas on Aug. 9. The season will start after Labor Day, and the 804 Mafia will play at least four home games at Varina, plus nationals in Florida in January 2026.
