She's Good

 Coraima Martínez says her parents are hesitant about her playing football.  Article dated August 24 2016 Source 

It was the fall of 1980. My first year in high school was also my first year in a new school and a new country. I had no idea it was the genesis of a new  life long addiction. Watching American style ( tackle) football. Not only did I watch it all day on Sundays ( went to church Saturday afternoons) but I watched my classmates play their games in the park near our house. Note that is so long ago, the only primetime NFL game was Monday night with Howard. 

Keep in mind this is a a 37 year old memory with nothing to back it up. I was standing in the sidelines.  Montgomery Park ( adjacent to William Osler school 5970 Selkirk St.    ) had no seats. So you were either sitting on the ground or standing.  My grade 8 team ( Vancouver College FIghting Irish) were playing the R.C. Palmer Griffins if memory serves.  Not that much of my facilities serve me well at this age.  Grade 8's at that time were 13 years old. I overheard two of the coaches on our sideline discussing the players warming up.


Coach 1 " Watch #57"
Coach 2 " Why? Is he good?"
Coach 1" She's good." 



I can not remember if she played defensive back or linebacker but she was definitely on defense. She was definitely not a kicker.  At 13 years old she was not only in position to be giving hits and taking hits but she was in the starting defense taking away a position that 99.99999% of the time will be held by a guy. I just tell you this because there are maybe a handful of people on Earth that have seen a solitary girl play tackle football in an organized game . Not that I deserve a medal but I thought a story worth mentioning.


Ed