Sports
Beat The Boys: Glenview All-Girls Flag Football Nears Victory
Comprised of 11 fifth-graders, the first team in league history with only girls on the roster is inching closer to notching its first win.
GLENVIEW, IL — For a group of Glenview girls, victory is so close they can almost taste it. The 11 members of an all-girls flag football team in the Glenview Park District's "Friday Night Lights" league have two more chances this week to get an elusive first win.
"Even though these boys have been playing football longer than us and are a bit more aggressive, we still keep on working through the games," Jacqueline Spalo, 10, said of the first all-girls team in league history.
The Giants, made up of fifth-graders from Hoffman Elementary School, have played six games of an eight-game season that began on Oct. 1. First up is a Thursday showdown with the Bears, an all-boys team made up of fellow Hoffman fifth-graders. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Roosevelt Park.
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Though they lack the playing experience of their male counterparts, the girls make up for it in effort and are not intimidated by the boys.
"Being able to stare down a boy when I pull his flag without any reaction [is my favorite thing about flag football]," said Jillian Kramme, 10.
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Teammate Cooper Godbout, 10, is also enjoying the experience. Her favorite things about playing flag football include being a quarterback, running back and scoring touchdowns.
The team's accomplishments this fall are getting noticed by other girls around town. Spalo said there is already a waitlist for next season and there might be enough players to field two all-girls teams. Kramme and Godbout echo their teammate and said the team is "inspiring" other girls.
"Each week, they get closer and closer to winning," said Amy Pretty, who has a daughter on the team. "And they are such tough cookies."
Despite hard falls and injuries, the girls never give up, according to Pretty. It shouldn't be surprising as they are each all-around good athletes and also play sports like soccer, lacrosse, basketball and softball.
The Giants close out the season Friday with a 6 p.m. game against the Vikings at Roosevelt Park.
To learn more about the Glenview Park District's Flag Football league and other sports, visit here.
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