Andra Douglas

Pioneering athlete, New York Sharks owner and former quarterback, Andra Douglas left Florida for New York City in the 1980s to earn a master’s in communications from Pratt Institute. She went on to become a Vice President, Creative at Atlantic Records/WarnerVision Entertainment. Prior to moving to New York, she attended Florida State University, where she played on the rugby team.

In 2000, she acquired the NEW YORK SHARKS, (nysharksfootball.com) a women’s tackle football team, and played quarterback for 5 years. After 20 seasons of play, Andra sold the team, but the Sharks retired arguably as the “winningest” and longest-operating women’s tackle football team in the world.

In 2003, she established the FINS UP FOUNDATION FOR FEMALE ATHLETES, a foundation whose mission is to provide opportunities for 13–17-year-old “at-risk” girls to learn the sport of football as well as the life skills that come along with it.

Fast forward to today and you will find her uniform and helmet displayed in the NFL PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME in Canton, Ohio for her pioneering leadership and accomplishments including many ‘firsts’ in both flag and tackle football. Results of the pioneers of her era are apparent as Flag Football for women will be an Olympic sport in Los Angeles, 2028.

After 20 seasons, she sold the team, but the experience inspired her first novel titled BLACK & BLUE: LOVE, SPORTS AND THE ART OF EMPOWERMENT which Universal Television has optioned for a series.

Andra’s experience with all aspects of women’s football serves as one of the main subjects of her mixed-media artwork which has been exhibited nationwide. In the collection titled ‘Phizog’, Andra was inspired by the diversity of the players.