Manchester Freedom Football

I've mentioned here fairly often that my daughter plays football for the Manchester Freedom. It is a woman's professional football team. Not that they receive any money for playing. Quite the opposite in fact. It's "professional" because they play by the same rules as the NFL. Full tackle, full pads....you get the idea.

This is Jamie's fifth year playing the game. Hubby and I love going to watch. We've even gone to all the away games.....in Montreal and all over New England.

Jamie is the one on the far right in the photo above. She is a wide receiver because she is small and quick. She also plays safety on defense.......and is the kicker for extra points or field goals. Today's game was great. They won 47-0 against a team from PA. Jamie had some outstanding plays including an interception.

In the program they 'interviewed' several members of the team. Below is her interview......and the reason I am so proud of her - beyond the fact that she is an outstanding athlete, is beautiful, smart and has a loving personality.

GIRL SCOUT, ATHLETE, AND ROLE MODEL, JAMIE NAYLOR SHARES SOME KEYS TO HER FOOTBALL SUCCESS

"The first tackle I made was the best feeling. It was a good clean hit and I took the running back down with force. I was seven and had taken down my older brother, Doug, in the back yard. Since girls could not play football when I was little (and Mom didn't want her baby girl to get hurt) I had to satisfy my need to tackle on my brothers. I watched enviously as Doug played through Pop Warner and High School. As I grew up, I played soccer, softball and basketball, but my heart was always on the football field.

As I dreamed of football, I kept busy through Girl Scouts. I started off as a little Brownie in first grade and graduated my senior year in High School with my Gold Award. Girl Scouts taught me a lot of life skills that I still use today. I learned the power of perseverance, how to lead a group to accomplish a common goal, and the importance of hard work and dedication. Girl Scouts helped me to become a part of, and to give back to, my community. It gave me a chance to make a difference in the lives of others who may not be able to help themselves. Girl Scouts also taught me that just because you are a woman does not mean you cannot accomplish your dreams.

I use these skills not just in life, but on the football field today. This will be my fifth year playing for the Manchester Freedom and I have loved every year. While I worked independently in Girl Scouts, football is a complete team sport. One player cannot be successful without the support of her teammates. There is no other sport where team can be better exemplified.

We are not a group of women trying to play a man's game. We are a team playing a women's game."