Written by Kathryn Burke, Staff Writer
Poly girls’ flag football is off to an incredible start this season with both the varsity and junior varsity teams demonstrating amazing communication and commitment to their sport.
Poly girls’ flag football has had a successful season so far and has started the year strong. The Junior Varsity team is rocking it with 10 wins and 2 losses, and the Varsity team is doing fabulous with 8 wins and 4 losses. They are making their coaches extremely proud, while also showing great confidence in their skills. Assistant Coach Megan shared her profound pride in the team’s stats and the team’s ability to communicate as a group. They often work on “holding themselves accountable along with their team members,” making sure they are prepared. Practices are typically set with a high intensity to prepare athletes for competitive games which enables them to respond effectively when playing against a strong team. For instance, there have been games where the team is struggling but continue to persevere with the desire to “not only win for themselves but for the team.”
Coach Megan runs both the Sports Medicine CTE program and the Sports Medicine club. She knows how important it is for athletes to push themselves while also knowing their bodies’ limits. Coach Megan was an athlete all of her childhood as she participated in both soccer and track at Poly. As a former athlete, it makes her happy to see girls with different backgrounds and skills come together to accomplish a common goal. She is aware her players are involved in numerous activities in and out of school, advising them to know how to manage their busy schedules.
Due to team members being involved in various sports, AP classes, clubs, and other extracurricular activities while still maintaining a social life, the sport challenges their ability to work outside of being a team. It keeps them focused on time management, balance, responsibilities, and encourages them to hold themselves accountable. With this, knowing how to take time for oneself and keeping a positive mindset is significant for athletes since “it can be mentally hard with all the demands” they are put under. It is also important to note that student athletes are never alone and “have their team to support them and fall back on”, as Coach Megan comments.
Poly’s flag football team has had a positive impact on its team members, and it also impacts younger female athletes. Due to the sport becoming more common, younger girls are becoming interested in stepping onto the field. Knowing this, Coach Megan hopes that the sport leaves the girls with the mindset to “maintain girl power,” acknowledging that femininity “doesn’t restrict you.” Regarding reaching younger female athletes, the team strives to influence them to broaden their experiences and “ball out,” especially with the sport’s popularity increasing. The team hopes for a great rest of the season, and to strengthen their skills. We cannot wait to see their achievements and improvements as more games progress!
