When it comes to flag football, there’s nothing we love more than cheering on our favorite team, which is why we’re so excited about our partnership with Future for Football. My daughter loves to cheer on her older brother every chance she gets! She enjoys watching him play and has become so involved with everything about the game. She practices with him, she knows the gear, and she is really learning so much more than just football.
There’s something about flag football for every person in our family. My daughter has another way to connect with her brother. When it came to coaching, my husband gladly stepped in. And you know my daughter is already asking me when I’ll start coaching, just from watching my husband do it. She truly is seeing and taking in so much when she watches the practices and games.
One of the things I’ve been so excited to watch unfold is how much my daughter takes in about flag football–including seeing other girls playing right alongside the boys. That’s why I was so happy to sit down and talk with Susan, whose daughter plays flag football on the same team my son does.
Susan’s daughter works so hard on the team; not only is she the fastest player, but she is also the ONLY girl, and she’s been a fighter since the day she was born. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to sit down with her and chat about what flag football has taught her daughter about team sports and the positive impact the coaches have had on her.
A Fighter Since Day One
Susan’s daughter is truly an inspiration. She was born premature, weighing under two pounds. She is deaf in one ear and was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant. Up until recently, she wore ankle supports to help with weakness she experienced in her legs. However, through all of this, one thing that’s been so important to her parents is that they never hold her back.
Brianna has played tennis, swam, played basketball, and taken gymnastics. However, her love kept coming back to football! One of the things Susan really loves about football is how it’s taught her daughter to never give up–“Don’t ever let them tell you you’re not allowed to do those things.” She appreciates how empowered the sport has made her daughter feel and she truly believes it’s given her daughter more confidence to stand up for herself, to anyone who tries to tell her she cannot do something.
It’s More Than Just a Team
Susan credits Coach Peart with seeing the potential in her daughter that other coaches maybe didn’t–she noted that Coach Peart is someone who does NOT treat her daughter “like a girl,” and instead sees her as a teammate who is working hard to support the rest of the team. It’s given her the confidence to play football with the older students at school during recess.
It’s amazing to be able to see how interactions with a coach, and interactions with a team, can extend beyond the field. What Brianna is learning and experiencing while playing football is positively impacting her life outside of the sport, too. Coach Peart really is helping her to see the importance of being a team player and that it means so much more than just being on a team.
As for family? Susan loves sending videos of Brianna’s plays to them, and they make plans to come watch her games. And, it’s not just her own family. ALL of the families cheer for ALL of the kids on the field. And after the game, it’s sometimes the opposing team’s families who are letting Susan know how great it is to see a girl out there playing with the boys. The teammates cheer one another on and it’s truly heartwarming to see and experience.
An Experience for the Whole Family
Flag football is really an experience for the whole family. I mentioned earlier that my husband used to coach. And, my youngest daughter wants to play the second she is old enough to. It’s a lesson in patience and working hard towards your dreams, that’s for sure!
Susan noted that flag football really does encourage the entire family to spend time together. Brianna will often want to go play outside to practice and the whole family heads out to join here. I know my own daughter, Maryn, loves practicing with her brother!
Above all, Susan kept reiterating how much confidence her daughter has gained through playing flag football all these years. It’s carried over into other aspects of her life, and has positively impacted their entire family. Susan is grateful that flag football has not only showed her daughter the importance of standing up for herself and standing her ground, but that it’s also afforded her so many opportunities to show just how much of a fighter she is.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch our interview, I encourage you to check it out in the clip below. I have no doubt you’ll leave inspired and ready to sign your kids up for flag football for next season!
