In the stereotypical world of high school, girls are cheerleaders on the sidelines while the boys are out on the field playing football. This is true for a multitude of high schools but Sam Gordon, a 14 year old female student in South Jordan, Utah, is changing the playing field. She is revolutionizing the game of football by changing its diversity of players. Gordon’s dedication to the sport and the movement she has created is something that will not be ceased and could possibly make its way here to Western Kentucky.
When Sam Gordon was 9 years old, she was the only girl on her football team. But don’t let that fool you. In an interview conducted by the NFL, Gordon stated that she, “scored 35 touchdowns, got around 2,000 rushing yards, and made 65 tackles,” in that season. Some of her games were recorded and the video went viral in 2014, people calling her the “Unbelievable Football Girl.” People were astounded by her skill and talent and were shocked at her choice in sport because of her gender. Gordon also expressed in the same interview, “it’s crazy because it’s like, a girl playing football, why is this such a monumental thing?”
Soon after a few speeches and presentations at local schools, she saw that many girls in school systems would enjoy the opportunity to play football. So. Gordon took initiative and created the Utah Girls Football League, allowing girls in grades 5th-12th play football with other girls with the same interest. With around 400 players, The Utah Girls Football League is changing the world, one girl at a time. Sam Gordon was presented with the inaugural Game Changer Award at the 7th Annual NFL Honors on February 3, 2018 because of work with girl’s football in Utah. Gordon is the first ever to win the award, the first female to win a NFL award, and the youngest recipient of a NFL award.
A girl’s football league may not seem like a big deal to some, but this is the first step to equality in team sports and provides another opportunity to girls who have interests in sports. Girl’s football leagues are spreading across the nation quickly into states such as Georgia & Indiana. With such a spurt in interest, we could see girl’s football become available as an extracurricular in high schools. This is one of Gordon’s missions. Gordon stated in her acceptance speech at the NFL Honors that she wants to urge high schools and colleges to create girl’s & women’s football teams to provide diversity in their available sports.
Sam Gordon is revolutionizing the world of sports quickly and it’s a movement that will catch on. In the words of Sam Gordon, “Equality is our Super Bowl.”