Elli Metsola
How old are you? When did you start playing American football?
I'm 38 years old and started playing football in 2017, so this is my 5th season coming up.
How/why did you get started?
I came across the sport when met someone who played and went to watch his game. It looked like fun and at the same time a couple of my friends had started a team in my hometown so of course I had to go and try it out. I had no background in team sports so it was all a bit weird to me at first but after the first game there was no going back.
What teams have you played with? Where are you playing for 2021?
- 2017 - 2018 with Lohja Lionesses
- 2018 with New York Sharks for a tournament in UK
- 2019 with Helsinki Roosters & New York Wolves
- 2020 - currently with Lohja Lionesses
Do you coach, are you on any boards or committees, or are you somehow involved in the sport outside of just playing it?
I don't coach now but that's definitely something I want to do in the future. I'm the team general manager in Lohja this season so there's a lot of work there. I've also been working or volunteering in many games and events such as the European Championships in 2018 and men's Maple Bowls in 2018 - 2020.
What is your biggest challenge related to football?
Probably not having enough time to do all I would want to do. Work and family need my time and attention too.
What is your biggest football-related accomplishment?
I'm still working on my biggest football-related accomplishment: I was drafted to a team in a professional league that was supposed to start this season, but got postponed til 2022 due to COVID.
What is your next football goal?
My goal is to work hard and get better and be at my best as a player once I finally get to go to the US. To be able to play professionally and get paid for it will be a dream come true.
How do you feel InsideRun represents you and the sport?
Football brings together so many different types of people. Sometimes it might be hard to explain the “why” for people outside the sport but all of us on the inside — we know. InsideRun represents us all and shows the rest of the world what they’re missing.
I’m happy to be part of it and especially looking forward to wear the Football is Female collection!
What lessons has football taught you? What opportunities has football given you?
Football has taught me a lot about teamwork. Just like you can't choose your family, you can't choose your teammates either. Even with such different personalities, different backgrounds and different ways of looking at life, it is possible to work together for a goal that is important to all of us. Football has brought some very special people into my life that I would have never met without it. Football has given me an opportunity to travel, see different people and places and find different perspectives on things. I would be a very different person without all the lessons football has taught me.