by By Dan Ninham
Heather Koyawena plays semi-professional football. She is a trailblazer as an older than average athlete. “You are never too old to start new challenges!” said Heather about a storyline on her football playing.
“My native name is Ku-shaf-tahf-mana and means Winter Rabbit or White Rabbit,” said Heather. “I am 44 years old and I am from the Village of Sipaulovi in Second Mesa, Arizona. I currently live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.”
“I am from the Hopi Tribe located in northern Arizona. My clans are Sun, Tobacco and Rabbit Clan,” added Heather.
“I began playing sports in high school,” said Heather. “I played basketball, I ran track and field and a little cross country. I was also a part of the boy’s junior varsity/varsity football team as a sports trainer.”
“In 2018, I was recruited and signed to play women’s full-contact football with the Rio Grande Heat,” said Heather. “This was part of the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) and is a women’s semi-professional football league. I was the center on the offensive line for the Rio Grande Heat but was injured in our final game in 2019 sustaining a pretty major concussion that put me out for the 2020 season.”
“My main athletic accomplishment would be that I am still able to play and be involved in sports after battling and surviving alcoholism,” said Heather. “I continue to encourage women and show them that they can play any sports that were once seen as being ‘men’s’ sports, as women, we continue to break barriers.”
“My tribal core values define me as an athlete by having a strong belief in prayer and a strong family bond, sticking together and being there for one another,” said Heather. “We are teaching and learning from each other. My beliefs have helped me both on and off the football field and by being a part of a team of strong women that aren’t just my teammates, but also an extension of family. When we don’t get the win, we still come together, lift each other up, celebrate, and shake our opponents hands with a smile and that’s sportsmanship. I am Hopi! We are known as the peaceful people.”
“My late father, Lloyd Koyawena, Hopi, was definitely a positive mentor in my eyes,” said Heather. “Everyone has their flaws and his was alcohol. No marathon was too long for him. I watched him balance his family, military life, and traditions with a big heart. My father lost his life to alcoholism but I always remember him doing what he loved, running. Not just city races but races that took place in ceremonies back home. So I’m doing what I love too, but without the weight of alcohol on me.”
“Brenda Atencio, Tewa, from Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico is also a mentor,” said Heather. “She opened a new way of life for me the day she asked me to play football. She knew I needed an outlet on my continuous journey of recovery. What better way than playing full contact football. She is the Owner/Founder of the Rio Grande Heat Women’s Football Team.”
Brenda Atencio, founder/owner of the Rio Grande Heat talked about her star football player: “I have watched Heather progress on her personal journey both on and off the field. She has shown her determination in never quitting, pushing through the pain and any challenges she is faced with. From internalizing her emotions to learning that sharing your story is part of the journey, and self-expression is part of healing. She was a great addition to the Rio Grande Heat Women’s Football Team. On the field she encouraged her fellow sisters to play every second until the whistle blows, to dust yourself off and get back up, push through no matter what and play hard and leave it all on the field.”
“In our last game of our 2019 season, we traveled with 13 players, two already with minor injuries, to Las Vegas, NV to take on the Sin City Trojans in an 11-woman game,” said Brenda. “We battled through three and half quarters with the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter. All we had left were the 11 women on the field. With four minutes left in the game, Heather went down with a major concussion and that left us with only 10 players. She continued to talk and encourage the team to finish the game. She was taken away in an ambulance and the team came together. We re-focused for her and played the last four minutes with 10 players against 11, but we never quit.”
“We knew that if Heather was on the field with us, that she wouldn’t quit,” said Brenda. “She would push together with us until that final whistle blew. That is the type of spirit and leadership that she brought to the team.”
“This pandemic has really made football more challenging, but being a part of this sisterhood, the team, we’ve stuck together,” said Heather. “In a social distance way, of course. We are constantly communicating on our team group page. We have team challenges like workouts. We’ve had art sessions, traditional storytelling by the founder of our team, small group hikes and camping trips. Just staying connected has helped us all mentally and spiritually.”
“Reaching out when one of the girls are down, as well as encouraging each other to continue to stay fit as our football season keeps being pushed back. As a team of strong women we too have helped our community during this pandemic by volunteering and handing out donations of everyday necessities to local families. Reminding everyone they are not alone and that we’ll all get through this together. GO TEAM!” added Heather.
“Going into our 2021 season, it is good to know that she will once again be on the sidelines,” said Brenda. “She may not be suited up, but she will be a part of the staff as team assistant. Go Rio Grande Heat!”
Photo Credit: Cathy Linford Photography
