'It doesn't matter whether you are a girl or boy': 13-year-old girl becomes quarterback of her school's football team
A 13-year-old girl is leading her middle school’s football team as the starting quarterback, leaving her competition stunned and her teammates impressed.
Neveah Spillman, of Kansas City, Mo., has been playing football since she was 4 years old. Now, all her hard work is paying off, as she joins the Maple Park Middle School football team, snagging a major position. As the only girl on the team, the young teen told local Kansas City news station WDAF-TV that she “was nervous in the beginning.” However, her teammates are singing her praises as she shows off her skills.
“She does have a good arm,” her teammate, Daivion Allen, told the local news outlet. “It doesn’t matter whether you are a girl or boy quarterback. It matters what you do on the field.”
And on the field, it seems that Spillman is already comfortable doing her job as a team leader.
“You have to take charge because you run the offense. You have to tell people their positions, what they need to work on to get better,” Spillman said. “Most girls don’t get recognized for playing this kind of sport, so when you hear people talking about you, it makes you feel good.”
The Maple Park Middle School Athletic Department didn’t immediately respond to Yahoo Lifestyle’s request for comment. But it’s evident that the school is making waves with the latest addition to the team, who is now earning the respect of her competitors.
“I’ll take my helmet off afterwards to shake hands, and it’s, ‘Oh, that’s a girl! Their quarterback is a girl,'” Spillman said of her opponents’ reactions. “They are shocked, but I think they think it’s pretty cool a girl plays football.”
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