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This is an article I found today. There is one girl that is of particular interest... I've bold faced her at the bottom :) .
JUST ONE OF THE GUYS
Girls on the Gridiron
Fairborn's Climmons one of several females giving football a try
By Jill Kelley
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | "What could it hurt?"
These were the thoughts of Brittany Climmons when she decided to go out for
the Fairborn High School football team this summer.
"I just wanted to try something new," said the sophomore, who is one of the varsity squad's three kickers. "I was a little nervous at first about trying out, but the guys were great. It's such a bonding thing."
Climmons is one of a handful of female football players in the Miami Valley, and one of the few at the high school level.
The 5-foot-9, 135-pound honor student has been playing soccer since she was 4 and is known as Big Foot Brit on the girls varsity team.
She is also a basketball cheerleader and a sprinter on the track team.
Climmons' mother, Renee, said she paused when her daughter said she wanted to play football.
"I was a little nervous since she was the only girl out there," she said. "But (her teammates) are there for her."
Brittany Climmons said the football coaches play a large part in the cohesiveness of the squad.
"They've been together for a long time," Climmons said of the staff, adding that there has been more turnover on the soccer team.
"The guys are pretty protective of me," Climmons said of her teammates. "They'll say, 'Where's Brittany?' on the field and make sure I'm OK."
Climmons has yet to take a hit on the field, but she said she would like to change that.
"I was hoping to get hit (against Valley View). That's one of my goals. I just want to see what it feels like."
Climmons, who has hit 8 of 9 extra points this season, said she might go out for wide receiver next year.
"It's just a lot of fun and I love it," Climmons said. "I wish I had done it last year."
Climmons said she hopes to major in medicine and become a plastic surgeon one day.
Her dream is to play soccer at the University of North Carolina. She may even try out for their football team.
What could it hurt?
Some other girls who play football
• Evangeline Kepperling
Evangeline Kepperling is one of three girls in the Fairborn Wee Hawks program, and one of two on her team. The fifth-grader is in her second year of football, playing defensive end and offensive line.
"I like getting tackles," the 10-year-old said.
Evangeline said she isn't afraid of getting hurt, even though her fellow female teammate, Shelby Mole, suffered a broken collarbone in practice.
Evangeline's coach, John Boyer, said he has mixed feelings about girls playing football.
"If parents want to bring them out, I'll try to teach them," Boyer said. "But I think they should have a girls' league once they get into junior high."
Evangeline's mother, Angela Kepperling, is very supportive of her daughter. She even contacted the Columbus Comets, a professional women's football team, and told them about her daughter's team. The Comets have seen the girls play, Kepperling said.
Like many of the girls who play football in the area, Evangeline also is involved in many other sports.
"I do figure skating, ice hockey, cheerleading, soccer, softball. ... Oh, and I want to try motocross sometime," she said.
Evangeline said she is looking forward to trying out for the middle school team next year.
Kepperling said her daughter told her recently, "Mom, I want to play in the NFL."
• Brooke Purvis
Brooke Purvis, whose endeavor to sign up for football was featured in a Dayton Daily News story in June, said she is enjoying playing for the Van Buren Middle School seventh-grade team.
She said although she also plays wide receiver, she prefers being a linebacker.
"I like to hit them before they hit me," the Kettering resident said.
And, despite initial feelings of not being accepted during sign-ups, she said her teammates have been very supportive.
"I was surprised by how nice they all were," Brooke said. "They helped me out a lot — even though I'm a girl."
Brooke, who also excels at basketball and soccer, said she might like to play field hockey next season instead of football.
"The field hockey coaches approached me asking me to play," she said.
"I just might want to try something else next year."
• Andy Armstrong
Andy Armstrong's mother, Cam Armstrong, said she always wanted to watch one of her kids playing football.
"I just didn't know it would be my daughter!" she said.
Andy is one of two girls on the Troy Junior High School seventh-grade team.
Amanda Polhamus plays tackle, and Andy is a running back and linebacker.
Andy, 12, said she likes both positions equally.
"As a running back, I can score touchdowns, and as a linebacker I can stop 'em."
Cam Armstrong said Andy talked about playing for a long time, and last year she played Little League football with the city.
"She's very independent," Armstrong said. "And she's done about all the sports — swimming, horseback riding, tennis, golf. There's nothing she can't do."
Andy plans to keep playing football and said she would like to try out for the high school team.
"The bigger they are," she said, "the harder they fall."
• Holley Mangold
Holley Mangold starts on the offensive line for the Alter High School junior varsity football team.
The sophomore, whose family and coach did not allow her to be interviewed for this article, is the sister of Nick Mangold, a former All-Ohio lineman at Alter and now a senior starting center at Ohio State.
This is an article I found today. There is one girl that is of particular interest... I've bold faced her at the bottom :) .
JUST ONE OF THE GUYS
Girls on the Gridiron
Fairborn's Climmons one of several females giving football a try
By Jill Kelley
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | "What could it hurt?"
These were the thoughts of Brittany Climmons when she decided to go out for
the Fairborn High School football team this summer.
"I just wanted to try something new," said the sophomore, who is one of the varsity squad's three kickers. "I was a little nervous at first about trying out, but the guys were great. It's such a bonding thing."
Climmons is one of a handful of female football players in the Miami Valley, and one of the few at the high school level.
The 5-foot-9, 135-pound honor student has been playing soccer since she was 4 and is known as Big Foot Brit on the girls varsity team.
She is also a basketball cheerleader and a sprinter on the track team.
Climmons' mother, Renee, said she paused when her daughter said she wanted to play football.
"I was a little nervous since she was the only girl out there," she said. "But (her teammates) are there for her."
Brittany Climmons said the football coaches play a large part in the cohesiveness of the squad.
"They've been together for a long time," Climmons said of the staff, adding that there has been more turnover on the soccer team.
"The guys are pretty protective of me," Climmons said of her teammates. "They'll say, 'Where's Brittany?' on the field and make sure I'm OK."
Climmons has yet to take a hit on the field, but she said she would like to change that.
"I was hoping to get hit (against Valley View). That's one of my goals. I just want to see what it feels like."
Climmons, who has hit 8 of 9 extra points this season, said she might go out for wide receiver next year.
"It's just a lot of fun and I love it," Climmons said. "I wish I had done it last year."
Climmons said she hopes to major in medicine and become a plastic surgeon one day.
Her dream is to play soccer at the University of North Carolina. She may even try out for their football team.
What could it hurt?
Some other girls who play football
• Evangeline Kepperling
Evangeline Kepperling is one of three girls in the Fairborn Wee Hawks program, and one of two on her team. The fifth-grader is in her second year of football, playing defensive end and offensive line.
"I like getting tackles," the 10-year-old said.
Evangeline said she isn't afraid of getting hurt, even though her fellow female teammate, Shelby Mole, suffered a broken collarbone in practice.
Evangeline's coach, John Boyer, said he has mixed feelings about girls playing football.
"If parents want to bring them out, I'll try to teach them," Boyer said. "But I think they should have a girls' league once they get into junior high."
Evangeline's mother, Angela Kepperling, is very supportive of her daughter. She even contacted the Columbus Comets, a professional women's football team, and told them about her daughter's team. The Comets have seen the girls play, Kepperling said.
Like many of the girls who play football in the area, Evangeline also is involved in many other sports.
"I do figure skating, ice hockey, cheerleading, soccer, softball. ... Oh, and I want to try motocross sometime," she said.
Evangeline said she is looking forward to trying out for the middle school team next year.
Kepperling said her daughter told her recently, "Mom, I want to play in the NFL."
• Brooke Purvis
Brooke Purvis, whose endeavor to sign up for football was featured in a Dayton Daily News story in June, said she is enjoying playing for the Van Buren Middle School seventh-grade team.
She said although she also plays wide receiver, she prefers being a linebacker.
"I like to hit them before they hit me," the Kettering resident said.
And, despite initial feelings of not being accepted during sign-ups, she said her teammates have been very supportive.
"I was surprised by how nice they all were," Brooke said. "They helped me out a lot — even though I'm a girl."
Brooke, who also excels at basketball and soccer, said she might like to play field hockey next season instead of football.
"The field hockey coaches approached me asking me to play," she said.
"I just might want to try something else next year."
• Andy Armstrong
Andy Armstrong's mother, Cam Armstrong, said she always wanted to watch one of her kids playing football.
"I just didn't know it would be my daughter!" she said.
Andy is one of two girls on the Troy Junior High School seventh-grade team.
Amanda Polhamus plays tackle, and Andy is a running back and linebacker.
Andy, 12, said she likes both positions equally.
"As a running back, I can score touchdowns, and as a linebacker I can stop 'em."
Cam Armstrong said Andy talked about playing for a long time, and last year she played Little League football with the city.
"She's very independent," Armstrong said. "And she's done about all the sports — swimming, horseback riding, tennis, golf. There's nothing she can't do."
Andy plans to keep playing football and said she would like to try out for the high school team.
"The bigger they are," she said, "the harder they fall."
• Holley Mangold
Holley Mangold starts on the offensive line for the Alter High School junior varsity football team.
The sophomore, whose family and coach did not allow her to be interviewed for this article, is the sister of Nick Mangold, a former All-Ohio lineman at Alter and now a senior starting center at Ohio State.
