South Windsor High School’s inaugural Flag Football season came to a close, marking a progressive addition to the school’s athletic program. A new addition to the athletic community, this program created an opportunity for female athletes to pursue football, outside of the male-dominated school team.
SWHS health teacher, Joanne Stavens-Martin, took initiative this season as the head coach. She was dedicated to fostering an encouraging environment for these athletes to thrive in, capitalizing on the importance of building confidence in young female athletes.
“This program is an opportunity for the students to be active, and grow their confidence to continue to play in other leagues or at the college level,” Coach Joanne Stavens-Martin told The Prowl.
Flag Football was added this year due to the growing interest and participation of female football players in recent years. The team allows girls who have an interest in football to have a chance to showcase their talents and play the sport.
“I feel that flag football has positively benefited girls because it has given girls a chance to play the sport they love,” one of the players, sophomore Maria Puniello said.
Puniello has played flag football in the past outside of school and finally was able to play this year at South Windsor High School. In her opinion, adding this sport to the high school was one of the best decisions they could’ve made.
All of the girls on the team have been very supportive and were willing to help each other as the new players were learning how to play the sport. The team’s chemistry shined through in the third game when they defeated Enfield in double overtime. The team remained resilient and never gave up on one another.
“I’m proud that we all worked together and no one was ever mad at someone because of one play,” senior Mallory Mead said. “We would laugh about everything and bond together just as a group of girls who liked the sport.”
The Bobcats are looking to refine their skills and overall flow of the game. There was a lot of learning on the fly this year because it was the first season, but they never gave up and got better one day at a time. Next year, they hope to build a group of girls that stick with the team through all four years of high school.
“Recruiting some more players would greatly help our advancements as a team,” assistant coach Jess Tyler said.
For some players it was their first time holding a football, but, by the end, they developed and became great players.
“I am so proud of everyone’s positive energy this season. We had fun! As long as we keep that energy alive, we can only go up from here,” Tyler commented.
