Episode 200 ! We chat with legendary WFA wide receiver Adrienne Smith of Team USA and the Boston Renegades.
Written by Black Girl Nerds
Adrienne Smith proves that Black Girl Nerds also come in elite athlete edition. The Boston Renegades receiver is an entrepreneur, educator, scholar, actor and creator of Blitz Champz, a football-themed card game for ages 7 and up. The fun, fast-paced game features 100 vibrantly illustrated playing cards that depict a diverse lineup of male and female players. Smith hopes to get the card game into the hands of at least 10,000 youth. She has partnering with Boston non-profits to work toward this goal. Smith hopes kids and their families will use Blitz Champz to enjoy the game of football on and off the field.
“I really want kids and their families to enjoy more unplugged play,” states Smith. “There are skill sets, like critical thinking and mental math that are being underdeveloped because kids are always plugged in.”
The Blitz Champz cards are designed to mirror real field play with offensive and defensive moves, passes, runs, completions, and even the unpredictable blitz. Players must strategize their gameplay based on the cards they’ve drawn and use mental math to advance their play or send their opponents back to defeat. The game takes only two minutes to learn and can be played by 2-6 people in 15-30 minutes.
Smith is a graduate of Columbia Business School and in addition to Blitz Champz, is the CEO and co-founder of Harlem Hip-Hop Tours, and CEO and founder of Gridiron Queendom. Her work with Harlem Hip-Hop Tours takes her into local classrooms where she sees and experiences first-hand, the academic challenges students face. Her experience as an educator motivated Smith to create the football themed math-based game. A math workshop based on Blitz Champz is one of Smith’s most frequently requested workshops.
Smith feels strongly about the importance of women and girls being encouraged to pursue athletic interests and consider sports careers. Gridiron Queendom is Smith’s online destination for women and girls who love football and an advocacy organization to encourage female participation in football and other field sports.
Smith has been playing at the elite women’s tackle football level with her Boston-based team for seven years and has won two world championships as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Tackle Football Team. Getting Blitz Champz into schools and homes is one way Smith hopes to encourage girls to pursue their athletic interests.
Leading up to the Super Bowl and Women’s History Month, Smith seeks to increase awareness of Blitz Champz and Gridiron Queendom to increase girls and womens knowledge of football. Blitz Champz was recognized earlier this year with a 2017 National Parenting Product Award (NAPPA)
Blitz Champz retails for $19.99 and can be ordered on Amazon.