A Letter To the Girl Playing Football

 

Tonight I sat on my hometown bleachers to watch our homecoming game as I looked around and everything that seemed unfamiliar to me since I left, one thing stood out to me. The tiny 5′ 3” girl standing in front of me. No she wasn’t in the stands, she was wearing the number 20 jersey warming up on our football team.

I literally lit up. I hit my mom’s shoulder asking why no one told me we had a girl in the team!

I am a woman that supports others and I love when I see other women creating this effort to be equal too. I immediately texted a group of people to say how super proud I was of this girl and how I was so happy to see. However, the texts I received back really bothered me.

I received some from “she must be butch” to “she must be the kicker” to “does she have a mustache” one of these text was from a girl too. I was reminded again that regardless of how much women try to make it farther in society to be equal and do others things out of the norm, people are going to make jokes.

So to the girl playing on my hometown football, I have something to say to you.

Keep going. I am so proud of you.

Keep being who you are regardless of the people that will crack jokes around you. I promise you are making a difference. I am much older than you and you made an impact in my life so image how many girls that are watching you, you are doing even more for? People will always bring you down because you are doing something different then the norm but you weren’t born to be like everyone else, you and I know, you were born to stand out.

I promise you someday it will get easier you are setting the example for society. I respect you and I know there are a ton of other women that do as well.

To the people around you that are not in support of you, I hope someday when they have a daughter they never have to watch her cry because of the jokes from someone else. I hope because of girls like the you that is playing on a males football team that their kids will be able to do what they want because society and people like you have finally created this change.

Oh and for the guy that asked if she was a kicker she happens to be a wide receiver and cornerback. That is girl power right there!