Grass crunches beneath your sneakers as you jog across the field. The sun sits heavily on you, causing beads of sweat to form on your forehead. Girls tighten their ponytails and redo their braids. The coach gives one final shout of encouragement, and then you’re off. It’s your first flag football game ever, the first of the season.
This year at Roosevelt a new sport has swept students back into the life of athletics. Girl’s flag football is in season, for their very first year, and they’re blowing everyone away!
Coach Jennifer Constuble has been coaching flag football since 2003, but it’s her first time coaching the girl’s team at Roosevelt, being that it’s the first year the school has had a girl’s flag football team.
“We’re really lucky with this team, they really are very supportive of each other.” Constuble said. “I think they’re really starting to understand that they’re really creating a foundation. This is the first team ever so they have that bond that’s really brought them together to understand, ‘Hey look what we’re doing together.'”
The team is composed of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Girls from all different grades and experience levels come together to form the team. For many students, it was their first time ever playing flag football.
Angelina Briano, a senior, shares about her experience playing flag football.
“I’ve always wanted to play flag because growing up I’ve always watched my brothers play football. I’ve always wanted to get out there and play and just, ‘Oh you’re a girl you can’t,'” Briano said.
Briano always had a love for the sport, but wasn’t able to play as she got older because it was considered a guy’s sport.
“And now my senior year comes and they present this perfect opportunity to put myself out there and show that I can also play football like the rest of the guys can, sometimes even better!” Briano added.
Roosevelt’s flag team is especially unique because of all the different athletic backgrounds the players come from.
“We have a lot of girls that come from other sports. They’ve really blended all their talents. So it was really grabbing ‘What do you play?’ ‘how do you play it?’ ‘what do you do well?’ Now let’s transfer it to football,” Constuble said.
When playing on a team, especially one as large as this one, not only do you improve at the game itself. But you learn valuable skills and life lessons that aid you in years to come. Both Constuble and Briano share what flag football has taught them so far.
“As a coach, for me, the best thing I’ve ever learned is to be flexible,” Constuble said.
“It’s really taught me to love competitiveness. It’s like a challenge comes up, not to shy away from it but go out and conquer it,” Briano shares.
There’s hope for the team’s expansion in the future. And spots are definitely open for future players. Pride and excitement seeps from each team member and coach alike.
“Even if you think it’s not for you, just come out and try it. Chances are that you’ll love it!” Briano says encouragingly.
There’s a place for everyone at Roosevelt. And for some students, that place might be in flag football.
