"Women can do whatever they want to do. My ladies are here to show that it can be done," said Tiffany Thomas, owner of the Harrisburg Havoc, a new competitive women's full tackle football team.

The team is currently seeking female players age 18 and over to join the team in its inaugural season. "The season will start next spring, but the ladies have started agility and conditioning now," said Tiffany. "They will play in full pads and go by college rules, so there will be 11 girls on the field."

Tiffany noted that games will most likely be played at Harrisburg and Steelton-Highspire high schools. The schedule will be released in October or November.

The Harrisburg Havoc is part of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA), which has teams throughout the United States. Teams include the Tampa Bay Inferno, the Boston Renegades and the Minnesota Vixen. Teams in Pennsylvania include the Pittsburgh Passion.

"There was another team in the Harrisburg area, and they folded. They did not have a season in two years. That is why I started the new team," Tiffany explained. "I have a lot of returning players (from that team)."

Currently, the Havoc is holding evening practices at South Side Elementary School in Harrisburg on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 p.m. "(The team members) are from all over central PA. I have ladies that travel from the Lehigh Valley, Marietta, Lancaster and Lackawanna County," Tiffany noted.

Tiffany's daughter, Kaeli, 23, has been playing women's tackle football for the past five years. She said that female football players are just as competitive as their male counterparts. "I think the one big thing is showing the boys we can do what they do; we can hit just as hard as they do," said Kaeli.

Kaeli, who plays right guard on the offensive line, has been injured while playing tackle football. "In my second season, I broke my hand. It got stuck in another girl's helmet," she recalled. "When you have a cast, (they) wrap it in foam, and I still played."

Tiffany said that an important aspect of the team is having players take part in service projects and serve as role models for young women. "My goal is to get out in the community. We recently did a 'Feed the Children' event with the Parsons Foundation and (took part) in Capital Rebirth's Stop the Violence and Drug Abuse Festival in Harrisburg," she noted. "A big part of our football team is engaging the community and empowering women."

Kaeli hopes that the community will turn out once games begin. "Once the season starts, we want to (build a) fan base and have the stands filled," she said.

In addition to seeking players, the team is in need of sponsors and additional coaches. The current staff includes head coach Michael "Coach Chiz" Chism, Marques Holton, Lanthus Whiteside, Corey Jett and John Balkcom. For more information, search for "Harrisburg Havoc" on Facebook. Those interested in becoming a player, coach or sponsor may send a message to Tiffany on the Facebook page or email harrisburghavoc@gmail.com.

For more information about the WFA and to view videos of past games, visit http://www.wfaprofootball.com.