The Houston Herricanes were a women's full-tackle football team from the 1970's whose fight to play the game continues to resonate with female athletes today.
When you have a great story to tell, it shows, and director Olivia Kuan‘s “The Herricanes” is a terrific documentary about a team that was part of the first women’s full tackle football league in the 1970s. The topic is timely and interesting, the subjects are delightful, and the film is focused in a way that’s educational and also entertaining. I adored this documentary from start to finish.
The Houston Herricanes were a professional sports team that never became a household name. Built by groundbreaking women with a desire to play football, these ladies built a league purely out of a sincere love of the game. They blazed a trail in the athletic world, especially in the male-dominated sport of football. It was a gutsy move decades ago, and the team faced a mountain of adversity. But these groundbreaking gals started a women’s sports movement that is still relevant today.
By tackling a topic that’s unknown to most, Kuan does a great job creating an instant connection with her subjects. She interviews the women who played the game, and it’s priceless to hear from the firsthand. Some tell similar stories of how much they loved sports growing up, but it wasn’t considered a ladylike thing to do. Some recall not even being allowed to go in the gym, much less pick up a ball and play. The former players are charismatic with large personalities, and it’s a pleasure to listen to them talk. It quickly becomes clear that these were (and still are) some badass women.
The team’s history is examined, from the very first tryouts (a time when the Herricanes didn’t yet have a coach), and the composition of the group. There was a banker, a doctor, even an exotic dancer, women who came from all walks of life who shared the same love of football. There are funny recollections of the ladies tangling with male coaches and dealing with the hecklers who joined the disappointingly small number of fans in the stands.
The film is an overall tribute to the sheer tenacity of the team, from their painful 56-0 blowout at the hand of the rival Oklahoma City Dolls to a heartbreaking losing record in their first season, where they accrued zero wins. Nothing seemed to stop these determined women.
It’s important to note that the Herricanes played full tackle football as part of the National Women’s Football League (NWFL), not some jokey powder puff league that was just for show. They paid their own way in order to play, buying their own equipment and showing up every game out of a deep love for the sport of football. Some argue that this proves they were more passionate about the game than men, because imagine how quickly NFL stars would bolt if they had to buy their own helmets, pads, and uniforms.
This leads the documentary into a discussion about the importance of Title IX and the state of women’s sports today, and especially the continuing fight against the people who don’t want to see the game of football (and quite frankly, other sports) change or evolve, especially if it means women will be playing. There’s a lot of talk about the football culture in the U.S. and especially in Texas, where it remains “like a religion” to many. We still live in a world where fans aren’t as excited about women’s sports as they are about the games that men play, and the stories that former Herricanes team members recount from the 1970s sounds a whole lot like stories we hear today. Thankfully, women’s sports are gaining popularity and recognition , but there’s still a long road ahead when it comes to equal opportunities and respect.
With a great mix of timely conversations, archival game footage, and feel-good nostalgia, “The Herricanes” is not only an unknown story that deserves to be told, but it’s a truly outstanding documentary.
