Being a part of the first season of girls flag football at Baldwin was a humbling and exciting experience.

From the start of the season to the end, we as a team went in with high spirits, despite our overall record of 2-12.

Our two wins were some of my favorite moments in the season. Our first win was against South Fayette, which ended in a 18-0 shutout, and our second win was against Monessen with a final score of 12-0. 

I personally had no prior experience nor had I wanted to play the sport until my friend, freshman Bristol Booth, had mentioned that there would be after-school workouts for the flag football team.

Being a part of the team has opened up many opportunities for me personally, such as making new friends, finding ways to showcase my skills, and bringing different football camps to my attention.

Throughout the season, my teammates and I were constantly cheering each other on and picking each other up in times of need.

The environment of flag football itself is such an exciting part of the sport. With how fast the sport is growing, many people are open to participating in and supporting the sport, and this includes a growing number of colleges and universities.

In November, before our season started, some of my teammates and I attended a tournament-like Turkey Bowl. This mostly provided team bonding, which was much needed at the time for a new team.

 As the season progressed, my teammates and I all improved our skills a lot.

One person in particular who had shown true improvement was freshman Avrie Lipiello. Lipiello showed good leadership and constantly gave her all on the field.

I believe that I have also improved over the course of the season – despite spraining my ankle at the start, which set me back and left me to catch up to everyone else. 

While it was not easy, it was worth it in the end to be able to call myself a part of the first flag football team here at Baldwin.