Baltimore Charm's "Mighty Mouse" - Baltimore Beat Down

Baltimore Charm's "Mighty Mouse" - Baltimore Beat Down  by Bruce Raffel

Christina Deavers of the LFL's Baltimore Charm

Christina Deavers of the Baltimore Charm might be the perfect example of the saying, "It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog." The diminutive cornerback and running back on the Lingerie Football League’s local team knows she can get lower than most of her opponents and run without being seen or be fast enough to stick on the hip of the opponent’s receivers in pass coverage. At 5’2", she understands the risks and the uphill battle for one of the smaller players on the arena field, but that does not deter her at all:

"Yes the LFL is a very physical game but it's a game I now LOVE. Coach tells us we have to be more physical than the player in front of us I know I'm more physical and aggressive this season. They call me ‘Mighty Mouse’ cause I'm strong and I can move quick but I also have the drive to never stop."

Christina followed a very similar path to the LFL as so many other players in that she saw previews of the games and told herself that she really wanted to do that. The season was already underway but she had a chance to tryout and says she even shocked herself doing things she thought she could never do:

"That day I became a Baltimore Charm that's something I will never forget. All my life I've played Softball and was a Cheerleader and worked very hard at the sports I played but football takes so much more. It’s a pretty hard sport to learn if you have never played so I'll say if I didn't have the athletic experience I don't think I would be where I am today. I do believe if you put your mind to something you really want then you can do it."

When asked the same question that every player in the Lingerie Football League gets asked about how "real" the football actually is compared to what they expect when they hear that the players are wearing sexy and skimpy little outfits under their padding, she chimes in with the same ‘mantra:’

"The LFL is as real as it gets. You know the saying never judge a book by its cover? Well you shouldn't judge the LFL by its cover. If you haven't been to a practice, game or even seen it on TV you have no clue what you’re talking about. The LFL is just like the NFL but with different rules. I'm not here to be on a cover of a magazine or to be a model running around with a football. I'm here to work my ass off to get to that winning spot and I know I can speak for the whole Baltimore Charm on that. So if you really want to see how REAL the LFL is come see for yourself."

Further proof of how seriously the players in the LFL take the game is the time and effort they put into getting and staying in tip-top shape, for what can be only as few as four games in the entire season. However, along with learning the strategy of the game, staying in great shape has its benefits outside of the arena:

"Yes it does get hard especially with the economy the way that it is, but all I can say is that when I signed on with the Charm I have been 100% committed to this team and to the LFL. Staying in shape has its ups and downs but you have to do everything you can to get to where you want to be. I love to train and stay in shape it feels great to know how far you have you go to get the best results of your life. Coaches always say someone else somewhere else is doing more and working harder then you, so what are you going to do about it? I have to be the best when I hit the field so the conditioning is not a problem."

Christina has realistic expectations for her team, and lists them in order of how they’d like to grow and succeed, after being an expansion team in 2010 and now having a year of experience under their,…uh…belts:

"Yes it was an eye opener. We (her Charm teammates) have been working our butts off trying to meet our team goals. One of our goals is to finish better than last season, next is to make it to the playoffs, next is to win a playoff game, then play in the championship game and win it. That is what everyone should want and nothing less. So let's put it like this: We are a new team with new goals and expectations for the 2011 season. As for my personal goals, I want to get stronger, faster and better at everything I do. I never want to give up. I will push myself till I can't push no more. I WANT TO WIN."

For those of you who want to get to know the Christina Deavers "off the field," here is what she says about herself:

"Let's see, I have three sisters and one brother. We’re all very close in age and we’re also very close as a family. We didn't have much growing up but going through the years of rough times made us the family we are today. We all love each other very much and would do anything for one another. I have to say my mother is a very strong woman and has done so much and my father is a wonderful man. I have a dog. I love going to the gym. I like to help people in any way I can. I like all kinds of music. I love to dance and would love to be a backup dancer for a great singer."

So when you go to watch the Baltimore Charm play this fall, look for the little player with the non-stop motor and you’ll finally see for yourself and understand why her coaches and teammates call her "Mighty Mouse."

Baltimore Charm: On The Field & In The Classroom | LFL360

Baltimore Charm: On The Field & In The Classroom | LFL360

On The Field:
Veteran Brittany Tegeler leads the team through conditioning drills prior to the football drills getting started.

Rookie Kyle DeHaven is catching everything thrown her way, regardless of whether she is playing offense or defense, including one amazing one-handed grab on a long pass while tightly covered by a defender. Teresa Andrews, despite being smaller and thinner than most of the other girls, is tough, determined and not intimidated by anyone. Kelly Campbell is a tough and loud tackler, as she hits the padding and tackling dummies during drills. Little sparkplug Christina Deavers has both ankles taped up for protection, but still goes full-speed until she cannot walk anymore and has to be helped to the side to be looked at by the team trainer.

All the girls have sore muscles as well as assorted bumps and bruises, yet you see no whining or excuses being made by anyone. A couple of players in attendance, but not practicing, are fresh off of surgeries related to injuries suffered either last season or recently. Yet, they still show up at practice to cheer their teammates on.

Classroom Session:
After a full practice of both conditioning drills and football –related activities, while head coach Rick Reeder took the quarterbacks into another room to go through offensive situations, Assistant Coach J.J. Morrison sat the rest of the ladies down to go over defensive strategies. Strength & Conditioning Coach Shannon Wallace led the players through a real tough cardio and stretching workout, complete with dragging heavy weighted sleds and sprints, along with stretching and yoga-type moves. The football drills included defensive line blocking assignments and one-on-one blocking drills.
Once the exhausted players were in the classroom, Coach Morrison detailed on the chalkboard the different defensive schemes the team would be running this season, asking the ladies if they needed any clarification. Despite the seven-on-seven limitations of the arena-style game, it appears the typical NFL defense known as the “Tampa-2” is also the base defense in the Lingerie Football League. Assistant Coach Kent Bryant walked them through the formations and explained the need to read the opposing team’s offense to adjust the defense accordingly. The discussion centered around protecting and defending “your” zone, and passing the responsibility to your teammate as opposing player leaves your zone for another position’s.

He made multiple mentions of the Baltimore Ravens’ constantly moving defense, which was called “organized Chaos” under former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, now head coach and running the same schemes for the New York Jets. Regardless of the pre-play motion, the players will still need to know their responsibilities once the ball is snapped.

These classroom strategy sessions are further proof that the LFL is still real football, despite the sexy uniforms that most people see and write off without ever having witnessed the skill quality that the LFL offers. This is far from powder-puff football, as the girls not only play and hit hard, but they are taught to understand the inner workings of football as well if not better than most fans of even the pro game.

Head coach Rick Reeder continues to challenge the ladies, by saying, “you are all intelligent, but you have to be football-smart.” He asks if they have any more questions on positioning, understanding the concept of the Cover 2, Cover 3 and ‘Man’ defenses. To show the level of strategy that is an integral part of the LFL game, veteran Katie Sauter asks, “How can you read the offensive line when every receiver is pass receiving-eligible?” Assistant Coach Bill Fallon responds, “if the players is in a three-point stance, they’re probably going forward and if they have their hands on their knees, it’s probably a pass play.”

Once the strategy session was over, the team began to put together one of their team chants and huddle performances that the cameras will certainly be fixated upon as team comes on the field to prepare for the regular season games starting in September.

Tags: Baltimore Charm, bill fallon, Brittany Tegeler, christina deavers, j.j. morrison, katie sauter, kelly campbell, kent bryant, kyle dehaven, LFL, Lingerie Football League, rick reeder, shannon wallace, teresa andrews

ABOUT BRUCE RAFFEL

Bruce Raffel has been writing on the NFL's Baltimore Ravens for the past four years through his blog, Baltimore Beatdown. Once he learned Baltimore had another football team, he decided to check out the LFL and the Baltimore Charm and has since published feature stories on their players and head coach and now plans to cover the team and post articles on the games, players, coaches and culture of the team. Visit his site to see more at www.BaltimoreBeatdown.com.