When sophomores Maureen Amory and Maddy Wood are on the football field, they say that they both have noticed looks of confusion from the opposition.

It is not common for girls to play football at the high school level, and judgments based on gender are frequent. But that does not stop them from being Junior Varsity football players.

“Being on a boys team is not much different from being on a girls team,” Amory said. “In fact, I personally get along a lot better with the guys. There is a lot less drama and they always look out for me.”

Both girls had previously played on girls sports teams and have recognized that there are changes when going from a girls team to a boys team. However, Amory and Wood see the changes differently.

“It’s a little different,” Wood said. “On a girls team I can relate to my teammates more than I can on a boys team. I have been playing on sports teams with the girls for much longer. ”

The adversity that both players face on a game-to-game basis is always a factor. Opponents often assume that if a girl is on a football team, all she does is kick. Although they both kick, Amory is also a wide receiver.

“During our game against Swartz Creek, I played wide receiver the whole fourth quarter,” Amory said. “When I went out onto the field, the other team thought I was a guy, so I pulled my braid around and I watched the eyes of the guy who I was blocking get huge.”

Even though the opponent was surprised, Amory said he didn’t treat her any differently than if she was a male player.
PHOTO Missy Tousley
“The first few times I could tell he was unsure of what to think, but then he knocked me on my butt and helped me back up,” Amory said. “After they see that you are willing to work your hardest for the same reason they are, they respect that you try as hard as they do.”

Although it is uncommon to see students playing on teams where their gender is not the obvious majority, Amory and Wood said it did not mean that they worked less hard than the boys.

“If you’re thinking of trying out for a team of the opposite gender, just go ahead and do it,” Wood said. “It will be a little bit of a change but you will have fun in the end.”

Amory has dreams of playing football in college, and she said she won’t let anything or anyone get in the way of that.

“If you’re a girl and you want to tryout for a boys team, it takes a lot emotionally and physically. You just have to work for your dreams,” Amory said. “Don’t let anyone tell you no or put you down. Do what you love.”