(S24) - PT 4 - Trial by Fire

[Reno]

234 words

It’s been a wild few years for Tree. Getting drafted as basically an afterthought with Kansas City and becoming one of their star players, then getting drafted relatively high with the Austin Copperheads and never getting a chance to play for them. The biggest moment in the career of Tree Gelbman would have to be that first game after signing with the Chicago Butchers to begin her ISFL career. After spending three years in the DSFL, you get used to the style of play down there. Games are slower, you aren’t always facing the most competition, the list goes on. So imagine my surprise when I got to the pros and saw people flying around at max speed. The first game really did not go well at all, struggled to get separation, couldn’t really build up a connection with the quarterback, the whole shebang. It didn’t get much better there, the entirety of last season for Chicago was brutal after much improved expectations for the team but in a rare show of effort, Tree never gave up. After a tense offseason battling knee issues, she came back more agile and played smarter not harder. So far it’s been working well for her, running around the defenders is usually a better strategy than running into them, and it’s showing with her finding the end zone twice and becoming a serious threat on the Butchers offense.