Expect to see some serious football drills at a Seattle Mist minicamp Wednesday for the women’s Lingerie Football League team, a league official says.
“We have a format similar to the NFL in preparation for the season,” said Stephon McMillen, media director for the Lingerie Football League, in a phone interview Tuesday from his office in West Hollywood, Calif. “We’ll have training camp in July and they will report for practice in August.”
The main exception to the NFL format? They’re playing in their underwear
Lingerie Football League officials announced last month that the Mist would have two games at the Kent ShoWare Center: Sept. 11 against the San Diego Seduction and Jan. 1 versus the Phoenix Scorch.
They’re also planning two road games: Oct. 23 at the Dallas Desire and Nov. 27 at the Los Angeles Temptation.
But locals won’t have to wait until September to see them play.
Wednesday’s mini camp runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Starfire Sports Complex, 14800 Starfire Way, in Tukwila. The two-hour session is open and admission is free.
“We take our play on the field very seriously,” McMillen said. “The players have been in training and in the classroom studying terminology. They’ll have about a year of preparation leading up to the first game.”
Most of the Mist players were selected at a tryout last fall in Seattle. The team has a roster of 12 with another six or so players on an inactive roster in case someone needs to be replaced because of injury.
Like grass abrasion? The games consist of scantily clad women playing seven-on-seven tackle football on a 50-yard field. Each offense has a quarterback, center, two running backs and three receivers.
McMillen said the players must have athletic ability as well as beauty to make the cut.
“Beauty draws the crowds initially, but to keep them we have to take it to a level of quality football,” McMillen said.
At the minicamp, the players will run through offensive, defensive and special-teams drills under coach Rob Long. The drills will be followed by a meet and greet between players and fans.
“It’s a good opportunity for the fans to come out from Kent,” McMillen said.
The minicamp will continue next weekend for the Mist, but those sessions will be closed to the media and the public.
Ticket sales already are going strong for the opening game, and the minicamp is expected to give a boost to sales, McMillen said. Tickets range from $14 for end zone seats to $107 for VIP midfield seats.
“We won’t start our media outreach campaign until July,” McMillen said. “Both games will be sold out.”
When told the Kent Reporter had received numerous letters to the editor in protest of the team coming to Kent, McMillen was not surprised.
“It’s not for everyone,” he said. “But it will be a fun night out. It’s not bottom-of-the-barrel programming. There’s no nudity or language issues. We take this seriously. If we did not take it seriously, we would just have half-naked models out there.”
The players will wear sports shorts, a sports bra, a helmet, pads and shoes.
For more information, go to www.myseattlemist.com.
Tickets are available at www.showarecenter.com.
If you go
What: Seattle Mist lingerie football minicamp
When: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila
Cost: Free
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