Spoiler alert: These are the same five reasons your sons should play football! Football is for your daughters, too.
- Football builds self-confidence.
2. Football enforces the importance of teamwork.
3. Football promotes an active lifestyle.
4. Football offers the opportunity to learn new skills.
5. There have never been more opportunities to play! Today, tackle, flag, modified, and co-ed football teams are available in towns and cities everywhere. To find one near you, visit FutureForFootball.com.
These five reasons apply to ALL children in the sport — both boys and girls alike. But for young girls, the positive impact football can have on their self-confidence and self-worth is something Boston Moms is proud to endorse.
Local athlete and rising football star Kaileigh Patterson perfectly exemplifies the positive impact football can have on girls. We are thrilled to profile Kaileigh as a part of our partnership with Future for Football.
Kaileigh Patterson is local football phenom who has gained notoriety in the last few years and has become a local celebrity in football circles. Kaileigh is 10 years old and lives in Nahant, Massachusetts, with her devoted parents Kerri and Terrell. Both Kerri and Terrell are athletes in their own right, having played youth and college sports (tennis for Kerri and football for Terrell). Terrell was sure to expose his daughter to football at a young age, playing pass in the yard and watching games together on television and developing an early love for the game.
At age 4, Kaileigh was excelling in soccer and began showing interest in playing football. In her first season of flag football, she was the only girl on the team and was the youngest and smallest player — by far. Outside of games and practice, Terrell helped Kaileigh to develop as a player and understand the game. Soon it became apparent that Kaileigh had found her sport. Now known as a bit of a local celebrity, especially in flag football circles, Kaileigh currently plays for two travel teams: her all-girls team, NEFFL Elite (New England Flag Football), and her co-ed travel team, Mass Mambas. She has won numerous tournament MVPs, was picked as team captain this year, and was recently featured on SportsCenter Top Plays.
When asked how football has positively impacted their family, Kaileigh’s mom, Kerri, said, “We have met so many like-minded families throughout the country and built many friendships. Above all, Kaileigh’s notoriety has [allowed us to create] relationships with many reputable female ambassadors, not just in women’s football, but in women’s sports in general. We truly believe the sky is the limit for Kaileigh. Football has given us a platform to show the world, not just Kaileigh, how much young girls can accomplish and that it is possible to excel in this sport.”
Kerri and Terrell have big dreams for their daughter. They hope flag football will soon become a NCAA Division 1 sport, and they would love to see Kaileigh continue to play throughout high school and into college. In their wildest dreams, they’d watch Kaileigh earn a spot on USA National Olympic team. But most of all, Kerri says, they “hope she will continue to inspire other young girls and be an ambassador of women’s football.”
Kaileigh’s tenacity, her love for the game, and the support of her family and coaches are all positioning her to become a voice for women in football. She portrays all of the good the game can teach children. When asked how she hopes to influence other girls in the sport of football, she said, “I hope to let girls know they can play football too. Like Coach Welter taught me, WE BELONG.”
Take it from Kaileigh: Your daughters belong in football, too.
For more information or to find a league near you, visit Future for Football.
