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Passion Powered

Warren native Baughman making an impact in football

Warren native Lindsay Baughman (62) lines up in the backfield at halfback for the Pittsburgh Passion women’s professional football team.

Lindsay Baughman was a heck of a softball player.

After playing shortstop for Warren Area High School, she was a four-year starter at catcher for Penn State Behrend.

It should come as no surprise that her new position is H-back.

“If you’re not familiar, H-back is a position that is played much like a tight end and fullback combined into one,” said Baughman, a 2005 graduate of Warren Area High School.

A football position.

Warren-native Lindsay Baughman, left, and Brandy Polinick tackle the sport of football with the Pittsburgh Passion, the women’s professional team.

After a successful high school and college softball career playing and then coaching, Baughman has flipped the switch back to being a competitive athlete.

“In Warren, I was a two-sport athlete, playing softball and basketball,” said Baughman, “but my true passion is and always has been softball. I wouldn’t change a thing about the experiences I have had or the friends I have made through playing and coaching softball.

“As a senior in high school, I did skip basketball practice to participate in the Powderpuff football game because it was something I always wanted to do,” she said. “But, honestly, I don’t think that I would’ve gotten involved in anything beyond that. My interest in football was something that grew over time and through meeting Brandy.”

Baughman’s partner, Brandy Polinick, was her connection to the Pittsburgh Passion women’s professional football team.

Baughman is a park ranger at Racoon Creek State Park and Polinick works at PPG in Pittsburgh. They recently moved to Cranberry Township and Polinick is a returning player and starting center on the Passion line.

“I do actually have one year of experience as a football player, but yes, I have always been a football fan,” said Baughman. “The majority of my college softball team was from Pittsburgh and the surrounding area, so being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan was not really an option.

“Back in 2012, I was introduced to the Erie Illusion women’s football team by a friend that I had played college softball with,” added Baughman. “I was still pretty fresh out of college and had not gotten into my coaching career yet, so being part of a team again was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.

“After we both ‘retired’ from football in 2012, Brandy wanted to get back into being active and being part of a team again,” said Baughman. “So in 2019, she joined the Pittsburgh Passion and spent two to three nights a week traveling back and forth after working full-time to attend practice and games. Due to my work schedule and coaching schedule, it was impossible for me to play. Fast forward to 2022, where my career moved both Brandy and I to the Pittsburgh area. Pittsburgh Passion was coming back after a two-year hiatus from COVID. I was actually interested in being part of the flag football tournaments that coaches and veterans of the Passion had been participating in. But since there seemed to be more interest from the collective to go back to tackle instead of flag, I eventually decided to try out for the team (with a little convincing from the coaches and vets).

“The biggest thing that I did not know about football was probably the terminology,” said Baughman. “Types of blocks and routes all have very specific names and definitions that are imperative to know as a football player. This time around, it was much easier to get back into the sport. I have spent 10 years watching football with Brandy, who has a tremendous football IQ, and relating it to my previous experience on the field.

“Football is a great game. It takes every single player on the field to do their job for the team to be successful. It’s the team and family aspect that drew me into the Pittsburgh Passion. Part of our creed says, ‘I stand by my sister…,’ and that commitment to each other is much bigger than the game.

“Brandy used to play the same position that I do now (amongst others), so she has been super helpful in me learning a pretty complicated offense. We actually both had COVID in early January and could not attend practices, so we spent two weeks quarantining at home and learning the playbook. Coffee tables and chairs became defenders while Brandy ran routes in the living room in an effort to coach me into the new offense. Most of my football knowledge has come from her.”

Pittsburgh is 3-1 and hosts Detroit at 6 p.m. Saturday at Joe P. DeMichela Stadium in Imperial, Pa.

“This team is made up of women in all different stages of life,” said Baughman. “Many are full-time students, many have full-time jobs, have kids, live hours away from Pittsburgh, etc. There are women on this team juggling full-time jobs and commuting two hours to practice twice a week with a virtual film meeting on a third night, not to mention the amount of studying it takes to learn a playbook. It’s fun for fans to go and watch the final outcome of all the hard work, but it takes a remarkable amount of time commitment before we even get to game day.

“People on the outside probably have no idea how much time it takes to prepare and play,” she said. “We started practice in early January, practicing three nights a week, three hours a practice. As with any sport at any age, time management is key.”

The 2022 Pittsburgh Passion team carries a 59-woman roster with a six-game season. Home games are at West Allegheny High School, but the Passion have traveled to Boston.

“The Passion has a tremendous fan base, and our first home game of the year saw about 1,200 fans,” said Baughman. “Our league is the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA), which was founded in 2009. According to their website, the WFA is ‘the largest, longest running, and most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world.’ The Pittsburgh Passion are part of the Pro division along with 10 other teams. The WFA also has Division 2 and Division 3 teams. As for rules, we play by the NCAA men’s football rules and not NFL rules.

“We do not get paid to play. Players pay a fee to be part of the team, however, players are encouraged to get sponsorships to help pay the fee. It’s a real disappointment when you think about the huge gap between men’s and women’s football. We are all out here playing because we love the game and want to promote the game of women’s tackle football.

Bumps and bruises? “Plenty!,” said Baughman. “Every day after practice you count the new bruises. Thankfully, there have been no major injuries.

“Brandy says that this is her last year playing, but is excited to transition into coaching,” said Baughman. “As for me, I figure I will play for a couple years as long as my bones and joints allow me to contribute to the team and continue to be competitive.

“What I love most about the experience is my teammates,” she said. “I have met some of my greatest friends turned family through sports teams, and the Pittsburgh Passion is no different. I wouldn’t say that I hate anything about the experience. What is most difficult about experience would be juggling life with playing a professional sport. Men’s tackle football is a full-time job, but women’s tackle football requires you to work a full-time job on top of being committed to your team and the game.

“Every coach that I have had in a long career of playing sports has had some sort of impact on me,” she said. “Being a coach myself, it was a bit difficult in the beginning of the season to flip the switch from coaching to being a competitive athlete again. All of my coaches have always preached things like hard work, dedication and commitment. Nothing has changed, and all of those things are still important attributes that I carry with me. Sports overall has taught me to adapt, overcome and to be resilient, and those are super important to remember as I play for the Pittsburgh Passion.”

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