Ghoncheh Mossanen is an offensive specialist for the Nighthawks. She has played football for 28 years. Mossanen says the sport is her therapy. It is what she looks forward to the most.

GHONCHEH MOSSANEN: “I feel there’s a transformation when I go from putting on my gear and stepping on this football field. It’s a huge mental transformation.”

FAITH LAPIDUS: Mossanen moved to America from Iran as a child. She remembers the first time she ever played football – at a game in her neighborhood.

GHONCHEH MOSSANEN: “I remember getting the phone call from my cousin saying ‘come on out, we need one more person to play.’ I didn’t know what it was. I had never played the game and I remember going out there and just fell in love with it.”

FAITH LAPIDUS: Most of the other players on the Nighthawks have also played since they were children. Most played unofficially or in non-contact leagues. But for team owner Tanya Bryan, women’s football was a completely new experience.

TANYA BRYAN: “It’s funny, I didn’t even realize the sport existed for women. And I got a phone call from a friend of mine and she said there was an opportunity to own a team in Baltimore. And I thought it sounded really exciting and I said yes, and four years later here I am.”

FAITH LAPIDUS: When Bryan bought the team she did not expect to make money right away. After four years, she is no longer losing money. But Bryan says what was most important to her was giving young women a chance to play ball.