A New Frontier for Women’s Sports
In the landscape of American sports, few arenas remain as male-dominated as tackle football. While women have steadily gained ground in basketball, soccer, and other professional leagues, full-contact football opportunities have remained limited and largely under the radar. That’s precisely why the work of owner Dawn Sherman matters.
As the owner of the Jersey Shore Wave, Sherman is helping bring visibility to a sport that many people don’t even realize exists: professional women’s tackle football.
For Sherman, the mission is about more than competition. It’s about expanding opportunities and redefining what women’s athletics can look like in the state of New Jersey and beyond.
“One of the things that inspired me,” Sherman explained, “was that there wasn’t another women’s pro tackle football team in New Jersey.”
That absence sparked an idea, and eventually a movement.
Building a Platform for Women Athletes
The Wave are entering just their second season, but their purpose reaches far beyond the win-loss column. Sherman sees the organization as a vehicle to amplify women’s sports and to create opportunities that historically haven’t existed.
Bringing a women’s professional football team to New Jersey was a significant first step.
“It brings another sport to New Jersey,” Sherman said, “but more importantly, a women’s pro sports team.”
That distinction matters. Every new team, every new league, and every new platform helps broaden the visibility of women athletes who are often overlooked despite their talent and dedication.
Sherman believes the long-term goal must include something even bigger: financial equity.
Playing Now for a Paid Future
Currently, many players across women’s tackle football leagues are volunteers, competing purely for the love of the game. But Sherman believes that reality can, and should, change.
The league the Wave competes in is still young, only about seven years old. The Wave themselves are entering their second season, building both their roster and their identity.
But Sherman already has her eyes on the future.
“Our players right now are volunteering their time to play the game that they love,” she explained. “Our mission is to make sure they get paid in the future.”
The path to that future starts with visibility. Sherman believes growing the fan base is the key to transforming women’s tackle football from a passion project into a sustainable professional sport.
“We need to fill the stands,” she said. “We need people to get out here.”
The formula isn’t unfamiliar. It mirrors the trajectory of leagues like the WNBA, where growing fan engagement has become central to expanding player salaries and league resources.
A Mission Rooted in Purpose
Sherman’s involvement in the Wave isn’t accidental. As a CEO and business leader, she has spent years building companies and navigating professional spaces where women often face systemic barriers.
Now she sees the Wave as an opportunity to give something back.
“I’ve grown up being a business person,” Sherman said. “I’ve been fortunate to be successful, and now I’m trying to pay it forward.”
For her, the team represents more than a business venture, it’s a purpose-driven mission.
“It’s an opportunity to do something meaningful,” she said. “Something good.”
Standing Up for What You Believe
At the core of Sherman’s philosophy is a simple belief: progress happens when people refuse to stay silent.
“I think everybody should fight for what they believe in,” she said. “Stand up for the things you think are right.”
That mindset fuels the athletes who suit up for the Wave every season. They play not only for competition but for recognition, respect, and the future of their sport.
If Sherman’s vision comes to life, the next generation of women football players won’t just be chasing dreams.
They’ll be building careers.