Why women’s football?
New Mexico Banitas Coach Jamar Cotton says, “Why not?”
The New Mexico Banitas went head-to-head against the Austin Outlaws last week and crushed the competition 40-0. The Banitas are now three and three. They rank second behind the Salt Lake Wildcats.
The New Mexico Banitas are a semi-professional football team representing New Mexico in Division 2 of the Women’s Football Alliance. The 35-women team play from late April to late July when the season concludes with the national conference championship. While there are players who drive in from all over the state to play with the Banitas, the team is based in Las Cruces.
Cotton, who played for New Mexico State University and has been coaching women’s football for around 10 years, said there are women football players who are just as good as the men.
“We’ve got something great here,” he said.
Who are the New Mexico Banitas?
The Banitas used to be called the Regulators but Cotton said the team rebranded itself a few years ago. The players are made up of women you might meet anywhere. Lupe Diaz, who plays defensive end for the Banitas, is a 40-year-old single mom of two teenage boys. Merly Bennett, plays both offense and defense for the Banitas as a center, guard and tackle. Bennett is a 38-year-old schoolteacher. Diaz and Bennett both live in Las Cruces.
Cotton said this is the first year the Banitas are playing Division 2 in the Women’s Football Alliance. He and the team are hoping to go pro.
“This team is the first in New Mexico history to represent New Mexico in the national championship. We’re in a position to go to the regional championship in Division 2,” Cotton said.
But the team needs more players and more support.
One of the biggest difficulties for women’s sports teams is the lack of both fans and the lack of financial backing. This is not a local problem, it’s a national one. The U.S. women’s soccer team launched a lawsuit to fight for equal pay, which U.S. Soccer settled in 2022.
The New Mexico Banitas often drive themselves long distances to get to out of state games. They sometimes pay for their own flights, hotel rooms and food. They also have to pay for their own uniforms and other equipment. They practice not in a field designed for them like male football players do. They practice in a grassy park on NMSU’s campus. The Banitas’ home games are held at either Mayfield High School’s stadium or at Cloudcroft High School’s stadium.
“Women’s sports doesn’t get the financial backing like men’s sports,” Cotton said.
In order to play up – to become a pro team – the Banitas will not just need to add to their number of players but they will have to find significantly better financial backing. Cotton said the Banitas hold fundraisers every year, but it’s not enough to cover all of the team’s costs.
But right now, the team is trying to rebuild and add close to 20 new players.
“The goal is to eventually become a pro team but that takes time and resources we haven’t quite reached yet,” he said.
But, Cotton said the Banitas have the potential to be the number 2 seed in Division 2.
“We have a shot,” he said about turning pro. “We have to get more numbers.”
Why play?
Diaz said she played football in high school in California and now she’s raising her two boys to play sports. She said she loves football but there’s another reason she plays for the Banitas.
“They told me girls can’t play football. That’s why I came,” Diaz said.
Bennett said she started playing football because her husband plays semi-pro football and she spent their first date watching him play a game. Bennett played volleyball in her youth but football was a new sport for her.
“It was scary at first physically,” Bennett said.
But she found that tackling and blocking turned out to be a great stress reliever. She called playing the sport a stress reliever, as well.
“You can just erase real life and play the sport,” Bennett said.
Editor's note: To learn more about the team, or to follow them as they finish out the season in the playoffs, go to: https://wfaprofootball.com/team/new-mexico-banitas/
