The Super Bowl, for most of us, suggests it’s the end of another great season of football.
Not for Dani Flute.
The 38-year-old All-American Women’s Professional Division 3 Football player out of Colman is just getting back on the gridiron. She earned the title in her first year of playing the rapidly growing sport with the Sioux Falls Snow Leopards this past year.
In fact, she made first-team as a tight end in her inaugural season.
Flute was also #4 in the nation for receiving yards as a tight end and #1 overall in Division 3.
She helped the Snow Leopards to the playoffs for the first time in their four-year history this past year. This year, the team MVP said, the goal is not just getting to the D3 national championship, but winning it.
What would have a local mom of four taking on a part-time tackle football career?

“I ran into some girls at the gym and they asked if I’d be interested,” Flute said, of the opportunity that presented itself this past year.
“It gave me a new challenge…something to do for myself, time with other women. It’s so much fun and I’ve never played football, I didn’t know much about it.”
She may not have known much about the game or the Women’s Football Alliance when she started but she’s all-in this spring. Flute has been back in the gym working hard to train and focus on injury prevention.
Saturdays for the next few months will be on the practice field in full pads. She wants to be playing both sides of the field throughout as much of each game as possible — tight end on offense, middle linebacker on defense.
“I always wanted to play football in high school, but my grandpa was like, ‘it’s not ladylike,’” Flute said with a smile. She played nearly every other sport in high school and college that she could.
Part of it is the challenge.
With football, and now years out of school, she also really appreciates the time with her teammates.
“A big part why I love it is the sisterhood. There are a handful of us that have become really close. We pray for each other, we check in every few days so we can be there for one another, that’s honestly the best part is the relationships I’ve made. As a mom, you know, all you do oftentimes is run around for and with your kids, you go to work, you come home, and you do the same thing the next day. So I’m really thankful Nick allows me to do this,” she said.
Saturdays are two hour practices.
The team, which is made up of women from their late teens through early 40’s, has three home games (in Harrisburg) this spring and 3 away games.
The championships, which Flute believes you’ll see them in, are in July.
“It’s so much fun, it’s a new learning experience and you get to have a great time with a bunch of other women and work hard toward something. From start to the end, I can’t believe how much I was able to accomplish. You feel good about yourself in a whole different way by doing something new and putting yourself out there,” she said.