Breaking Barriers on the Gridiron: Meet Magnolia, the Trailblazing Female Football Player!
Written by Stephanie Solis and featured in our October 11th print edition.
Autumn has quickly swept over Central PA. The cooler temps, hoodies, backyard campfires, pumpkin-flavored everything… And FOOTBALL. The pro and college football schedules flood our televisions from Thursday to Monday for the next several weeks. If you are a Philadelphia Phillies fan, we are ecstatic to be playing in October. Baseball playoffs and the World Series also occur during this beautiful season. Students are juggling their scholastic and social activities, and fall sports schedules are in full swing. For Magnolia Douglas, a ninth grader at Lower Dauphin High School, she has challenged herself unlike any other female student in her school’s history. “Noli” decided to go out for football. Her season started a few weeks before her freshman year of high school. She attends practice every day after school and plays freshman football games with her team on Wednesday afternoons. Magnolia is the only girl that plays on her team. During games, she plays both an offensive and defensive position- running back and linebacker. I caught up with Noli because I was curious as to why she chose to play a sport traditionally played by males. I also wondered how her team, friends, coaches, and community were reacting to her playing football.
Did you play any sports before signing up for football?
I did dance, swimming, gymnastics, basketball, and flag football.
Why did you want to play football and not a different sport traditionally only played by girls?
I always saw the guys playing at recess when I was in elementary school. It never occurred to me that football was a sport traditionally played by only boys. I just fell in love with the game, and that’s where things kind of took off.
Do you plan on participating in any other sports that are traditionally only played by boys?
I’ve heard that rugby is a good sport, but I don’t know if I should play it. I’ve also heard that there is a women’s rugby league.
Were preseason practices a challenge, either physically or mentally?
It was a challenge physically and mentally. It’s been the hardest thing I have ever done, but also the funnest!
Is the actual game of football, the positions, learning plays, and reads difficult for you?
The hardest thing for me is being able to remember what to do when I am on the field. Sometimes, the pressure gets to me.
How do your teammates treat you? Coaches? Other students in school?
They all treat me normally. The team calls me their sister, and they are my brothers. The coaches treat me like everyone else. I have gotten some students at school saying I’m a benchwarmer and saying that I’m just horrible at the sport, but I’m not gonna let that get to me because I don’t need their hate in my life.
Do you find it difficult to juggle schoolwork and football demands?
It’s difficult juggling schoolwork, but the season is coming to an end, which I am pretty sad about. It should give me more time to focus on classwork. I am pretty good at balancing my classes though. I am pretty sure I have a 90% or above in all of my classes.
Do you plan on sticking with football? Will you participate in the off-season workouts, and do you plan to play next year?
I plan on playing next year, but I do not know where life will take me, so I’m not making any commitments.
Have you set goals for yourself that you want to achieve this year? If so, what are they?
I have set some goals to become mentally tougher and to help me become the best version of myself by trying my best. I think it is important to give 110% every single day, even if you don’t feel well. That is what makes you a better player; when you are not feeling well but you still go out on the field and give it your all.
How has your experience, as a whole, been so far- positive or negative?
My experience has been positive. It’s the funnest thing I have ever done. They have become a real family for me.
Who has influenced you the most on your journey?
My biggest influence is people. I have people come to me after every single game and tell me how cool it is that I’m on the team and how they think it’s just amazing that they let me play. But my biggest influence is seeing a little girl come up to me and say, “I wanna be like you one day.” That’s what keeps me going in the first place. It’s because I fell in love with football and still love it.
Who are some of your heroes, and why?
Some of my heroes are my family and my coaches. They do a lot for us, and probably my biggest hero is my best friend Miranda Raser. She has given me all the strength to push through, even when I don’t feel like doing anything. She has always been there through the good and bad. Miranda does cross-country. If I did cross country, I would die! That is what influences me every day to give my all, knowing that she’s out doing cross country.
What advice would you give to a girl who is thinking about playing football in high school?
My advice would be just to do it…you will not regret it. Even though I don’t want you to quit, if it is too much for you, you can get out of it. But you should try to make it through the season because it is shorter than you think. The season flies by.
I want to personally thank Magnolia for taking time out of her super busy schedule to make this interview happen. Thank you for connecting with me- it was an honor. She is so brave and courageous. When I saw her face and name in the Lower Dauphin football program, I knew I had to talk to this chic and get the scoop! What I love about her story is… I have seen and heard about other girls playing on their high school football teams, but they were always kickers or punters. This girl…..THIS GIRL is playing 2 of the hardest-hitting positions in the game- running back and linebacker! She is doing it! She is playing the game of football and loving every minute of it. GOOD LUCK and BEST WISHES to Magnolia on the continuation of her high school football career.
