I Am What I Am by Julie Wicher, Sirens Half Back Perspectives Editorial Volume 1, Issue 11 November 12, 2002 When I was young, probably eight or nine years old, I used to dress up in some old football gear that my dad gave me and go out and play in the front yard. The gear consisted of a plastic helmet and facemask and some shoulder pads made partially of leather and plastic with beanbags for the padding. It was real football gear and at that time I had no idea about brand names like Bike or Riddell; nor did I care. I would put the gear on and take my dogs (Golden Retrievers Taffy and Brandon) out for a little game of two on one. Pretending they were the defense, I would throw the ball strait into the air, catch it, and run at them. They of course just ran around in circles having fun. I on the other hand would make cuts and fakes, spin around them, try and jump over them, and of course eventually pretend that one of them tackled me when I got tired. I would lay in the grass for a few moments to catch my breath and pet the dogs, telling them what good defense they played, then get up an do it all over again. Growing up in the outskirts of Walla Walla Washington (as one can imagine) there was not much to do other than play a lot of make believe. One Christmas my grandparents drove their motor home up from California for the holidays. Grandpa had a video camera and I remember my brother and I going out into the front yard and playing football together. Dad would throw a long pass and Ken or I would dive into the snow-covered bushes to catch it. We played this game for hours. I'm sure my mom was not too happy about the fact that when the snow melted her bushes would probably be crushed or dead, however at the time I think she just enjoyed watching the family have fun. I'm sure my parents still have that videotape somewhere and are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to embarrass me with it. I have always loved the game of football. From as far back as I can remember I told my classmates, family, friends, etc. that I was going to play football when I could. There were no pop-warner leagues in town when I was young, so entering into Jr. High was the first opportunity anyone had to play. More than just wanting to play because it was fun however, was the drive I had to prove people wrong. You see, there were many people that chuckled when I said I was going to play, or told me I could not because I was a girl. Mr. Smith, the coach, was very supportive and knew I had the ability to play along with the boys. The biggest obstacle was convincing the other schools in the league to allow a girl to play against them. Up until this point a girl had never played football in my school's league before. Finally it was allowed for me to play and my football carrier was underway. I started as flanker on offense, corner on defense and we went undefeated during the season. It's hard to believe that was 15 years ago. Time sure does fly by and yet some things never change. I still have a love for the game and a drive to do the unexpected. I have always been surrounded with strong support from family and friends. I have been extremely lucky to be a player on teams with an incredible will to win. Once again I am part of a team that has yet to loose a football game. The biggest difference between then and now is back then I played for myself; I played because people told me I shouldn't and worked harder because I was told I couldn't. Today I play for the team. I work hard because I see others doing it. I rely on my teammates every bit as much as they rely on me. There are no individuals on this team, only a group with a common goal and I am very proud to be a small part of it.     Back