Lisa Heinl

Lisa HeinlLisa Heinl-#28 -heard about the formation of the Fusion on her car radio, as she was driving on I-77 one very early fall day in 2001.She nearly ran her car off the road in her anxiety to catch the phone number so she could call and say, "Me, me!I want to play football!"

Fortunately, she kept the car under control, managing to write down the number to call.She made the call the next day, and thinks she was the first person to respond to Kelly Antal's request for interested women to come for tryouts.

A natural athlete, Lisa played basketball and softball, and ran track & cross country while attending Nordonia High School.When she went on to college, she did continue sports, but only intramurals, while earning her degree at Miami University in math education with a minor in coaching.

Her first teaching-and coaching-job was at Hawken Upper School, and shortly thereafter discovered herself to be the "Softball Coach of the Year" by the Plain Dealer, and received the same honor from the News Herald.Currently, Lisa is a math teacher at Mayfield High School.

Since she's been playing for the Fusion, she's had to give up coaching.But some day she'll go back to it.If Lisa had a personal highlight film, it would certainly include the touchdown pass she threw in April, 2004, when the Fusion played the Columbus Comets at Browns Stadium.

"I'll always remember being a female football player throwing a touchdown pass at an NFL stadium.It was awesome," she says, the pride-and awe-identifiable in her voice.Usually, for the Fusion, Lisa has been a Tailback or Fullback, so although she'd mostly played quarterback in flag football, the experience came in handy when the Fusion's quarterback was temporarily unable to play in that game.

This year, she'll be a Tight End.Two years ago, she was the Fusion's MVP.Watch a game and you'll see why.

At 38, Lisa isn't sure how many more years she'll play."When your body tells you it's time, it's time," she says.She's been injured a couple of times, but keeps picking herself up to go at it again.Her ten-year-old niece thinks she she'll play football someday, too, 'just like aunt Lisa'.

In the meantime, Lisa just continues to give it her all, bathed in the loving support of her family: parents, brother, two sisters, three nieces and a new nephew.And her appreciative team-mates.