WILLIAMSBURG, VA (WTKR)- William & Mary head football head coach Mike London has dedicated more than 35 years to his craft. His daughter, Kristen, has had a front row seat through much of that span.
"I was on the sideline at the age of three," she recalled. "Once my dad's games were over, then I was running on the field with my brothers playing one-on-one."
While her dad may have planted the seed for the love of football, Kristen says it was her mother that pushed her to be on the field instead of watching from the stands or sidelines. Following her college basketball career at the University of Virginia, Kristen heard a radio spot for a professional women's football team tryout. The rest is history, as she's been lacing up the pads as a pro player since 2012. She even has two gold medals to her name while suiting up for Team USA.
"As soon as I went to that tryout, it's like something that sparked back into me," remembered Kristen. "I literally found my voice again."
"I remember when she first said 'I want to play professional football,'" Mike London smiled. "She said 'how do you play Cover-2?' Dad talking to daughter, how do you play Cover-2? Then I saw the energy she had about wanting to do that!"
That energy will be front and center in Williamsburg on July 27, as the Londons host the Wilson's Legacy Women's Football Clinic. This will be a full community event, complete with local vendors. Female football players and those who wish to learn more about the game, ages 10 and above, will take the fields at Warhill Sports Complex. Drills will be tailored to each individual skill set as Mike and Kristen work to help the girls of the gridiron find their voices, just as the game did for the younger London.
"That is why we are creating this experience and this clinic," Kristen said. "Just to let them know that it's OK to be loud, it's OK to tell somebody 'you can't guard me!'"
"Sometimes young ladies, women, they feel marginalized or minimized because they ask a question about 'what does this mean?,'" added Mike. "They're asking the question because they want to know, so we talk the nuts and bolts, but we also do the things that we teach our players ourselves."
This is more than just a clinic for the London family. Wilson's Legacy is a nod to Wilson London, Mike's late father and Kristen's grandfather. He passed down many things to both as the foundation of the family, including the love of football.
"I watched him coach young ladies as well and saw the energy that he gave each and every individual," noted Mike. "As you're growing up and you're in a household of my dad acknowledging and appreciating everybody, then that's what you do."
"One of my dreams was to facilitate women's football on a high level in Virginia," Kristen added. "He's always been my number one supporter. He's always backed that in me."
The clinic is a chance to honor the road that's been paved for them, but also make it smoother for the ones who are on their way up behind them. The Londons are doing so one yard at a time, with this event serving as the next step.
"It's critically important that we acknowledge and appreciate the ladies that are in our lives and the things that they do," Coach London pointed out. "This happens to be football, flag, tackle, whatever it may be, but I'm committed to that."
"It's something that will enrich them and empower them so much," said Kristen. "They can take it to school, they can take it to their teams, they can take it to their relationships and literally feel empowered and be the leaders that they're called to be."
The fifth annual Wilson's Legacy Women's Football Clinic is set for July 27 from 2 p.m to 6 p.m. at Warhill Sports Complex. Those interested in taking part can scan the QR code above for more information.
