Wednesday marked the 35th annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. This day celebrates the achievements of women in sports and inspires women to be active and play sports. Today, we at Climb The Mountain are celebrating our female flag football athletes and their impact on the sport!
This week, we’re excited to feature two players from the DeLaSalle Flag Football Club – Jessica Macharia and Sophie Spitzer. They were nice enough to offer some insight on the recent trends in women’s flag football, their passion for the sport, and advice for any girl interested in playing the sport.
Jessica: Well long story short, it was actually a coincidence. I had never heard of the sport and was recruited or rather invited to a tryout with my current team (DeLaSalle Saints). At the time, they did not have a women’s team yet. So I got my start playing in a mixed fun league, during which we started recruiting some girls and formed our first-ever women’s team later that year.
Sophie: My older sister used to play tackle football for the Graz Giants Ladies. I joined her in that team and played tackle for a few years. We always struggled to find enough players for 9v9 tackle football. Therefore, we decided to play flag football as well in order to get experience and practice. I fell in love with the sport right away. I have since moved to Vienna and now play for the DeLaSalle Saints Flag Football Club. I have been focusing on flag football ever since and never regretted it for a minute.
Jessica: I can honestly only speak to the situation in the Austrian Women’s League (FLL) in terms of quality, I would say it is of a pretty good standard. It provides good competition in which to play. I believe that women’s flag football deserves more recognition and I think it is moving in a positive direction, unfortunately, I think that the pace it is developing in is slower than that of the men’s league. I haven’t had too much international experience, however from what I have seen from the European Champions Bowl and the talent that was in the women’s bracket, I am very hopeful and excited about the quality of football that the women can bring to the sport.
Sophie: Girls flag football is growing every day. There are more teams, more players, and more tournaments than ever before. Every day more and more talented girls find their love for this sport, it is amazing to watch. Right now, girls flag football is still not too big, especially in Europe. However, I hope that girls flag football becomes a college sport in the USA. It might help it get more attention. I believe that the opportunities for girls in football are growing and that this sport is really going to become big in the next few years.
Jessica: I have always loved sports and growing up, I threw myself in almost every sport I could. When it came to flag football, it didn’t take long for me to fall for the sport. I love the speed and agility aspect of flag football as well as the tactics. I’m also a sucker for team sports.
Sophie: It’s really hard for me to put feelings, I connect with football, into words. My favorite part about the sport is the team spirit, the team love and the connection you have with teammates when on the turf together. Football, especially defense, only works when all teammates work in harmony. You get to share all the wins and all the mistakes and losses with your teammates. The second most favorite thing about football is the energy that comes with it. Whenever I put my cleats on, I just feel the rush. Adrenaline and competition create a fire within me—I love to feel that kind of energy. You get to share that energy with your teammates. Flag football is just the perfect combination of athleticism, smartness, strategy, competition, and harmony.
Jessica: Well, because it builds character and confidence. I think that it also puts girls in a great position to try their hand in the world of football where they have the chance to excel in and improve on speed as well as tactics. I think it’s also quite intimidating (well for me at least) to get into football, for example when you see the NFL, I always thought it was something I would want to try but was intimidated by the “rough nature.” Flag gave me a taste of football in a different sense where I could really immerse myself in.
Sophie: Flag football is empowering. Everyone can find their voice in this sport. Every single player is important, all players have to work together to get the best results. Also, football is so diverse, everybody can incorporate their strength into the game – either you’re smart, super-fast, patient, have good technique, etc. What I am trying to say is that flag football gives all girls the opportunity to find their voice, play their strengths, and find amazing friendships within their team.
Jessica: Just go for it! Give it all you got and enjoy every moment! Also don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, before long you will be able to exceed your expectations and burn guys on the field!
Sophie: Just do it! You won’t regret it. You will have the most fun, you will find your best friends and you will grow as a person. Use every opportunity you get to play, go to tournaments, play internationally, and just get as much experience as possible.
If you want to see more awesome women’s flag football content check out @saints.flagfootball on Instagram. And for our two amazing interviewees, check out their Instagram at @jessica.macharia and @lb_sophie_17. Check out upcoming newsletters for more Q and As with other members of the flag football community.
