# 5-9, 300 lb GIRL playing High School football!



## Observer (Aug 14, 2006)

This is NOT a joke - the 5-9, 300 lb. "little" sister of an NFL football player is herself an offensive lineperson for her high school football team. FOX sports reports!

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5836780?FSO1&ATT=HCP&GT1=8485

She's also won the Best Offensive Lineman award at Ohio State's summer football camp and does the discus throw in track and field, and holds the AAU national recoird for squat lifting, so this young lady needs to be taken seriously!


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## elle camino (Aug 14, 2006)

she is adorable and i was totally loving the article until this:


> "I have a lot of people come up to me and ask since I play football am I a feminist?" Holley said. "No, not at all."


but she's 15, so she's off the hook for a few more years.


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## missaf (Aug 14, 2006)

Good for her!

I almost made it onto my freshman high school football team  They had me out on the field the longest, trying to get me to cave in and not make the final training cut, but I did it! A few days before the team announcements, though, I fell and dislocated my kneecap and tore a ligament. I politely withdrew my name. In hindsight, I shouldn't have, I should have stayed in it until the last minute 

Then they wouldn't let me play Powderpuff my senior year, I was too rough


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## mossystate (Aug 14, 2006)

elle camino said:


> she is adorable and i was totally loving the article until this:
> 
> but she's 15, so she's off the hook for a few more years.


 Yeah, I cringed when I read that part..that she said it, and that the reporter thought it needed to be included.But, if she is a heterosexual girl, she might think she 'has to' be palatable to the dating pool.I hope that one day more girls like her will go after the dreams they dream and do not feel they have to forever be taking one lil step back once they do.


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

Also try to understand that the definition of feminist varies.

I'd call a person who wants equal rights, equal protection, equal pay, equal treatment, etc... of women normal, not a feminist.

It's all a matter of your point of view.


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## elle camino (Aug 14, 2006)

oy, let's not get too into this. 
that said, until equal rights, equal pay, equal treatment, etc. _are_ the norm for women, i'll still be calling the people who want/strive/work for them, feminists. proudly. 
i'm pretty sure susan and gloria would agree with me.


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

elle camino said:


> oy, let's not get too into this.
> that said, until equal rights, equal pay, equal treatment, etc. _are_ the norm for women, i'll still be calling the people who want/strive/work for them, feminists. proudly.
> i'm pretty sure susan and gloria would agree with me.



Agreed, I really don't want to get into a fight with anyone. I certainly wasn't trying to pick one.


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## elle camino (Aug 14, 2006)

Grr! Let's Armwrestle, Jerk. Winner Defines The Word Feminist.

edit: what the hell? i typed that in all caps and it posted ...like that. hello, it loses it's sarcastic effect that way, admins. plus what the hell is the point of capitalizing every word? that's just silly. 
this board is wayyyyy overcoded.


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

Nyar, you're on!

edit: it's ok, the effect made it through loud and clear.


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## mossystate (Aug 14, 2006)

sirumberto said:


> Also try to understand that the definition of feminist varies.
> 
> I'd call a person who wants equal rights, equal protection, equal pay, equal treatment, etc... of women normal, not a feminist.
> 
> It's all a matter of your point of view.


You know exactly what people are implying when they ask if a female is a feminist..come on...sheesh...and...I will place my bet on camino.....wait, my bet was going to be a cupcake.....nevermind


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## missaf (Aug 14, 2006)

Let's concentrate on the positives here, and save the debates for Hyde Park. I'd hate to undermine the importance of this girl's accomplishment with a debate that has virtually no relevance to her success.


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

mossystate said:


> You know exactly what people are implying when they ask if a female is a feminist..come on...sheesh...and...I will place my bet on camino.....wait, my bet was going to be a cupcake.....nevermind



Well, it depends on where you are, but the likely implication is that the person being asked is a bra burning man-hater. That's why I'm trying not to fault her for saying no.


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

missaf said:


> Let's concentrate on the positives here, and save the debates for Hyde Park. I'd hate to undermine the importance of this girl's accomplishment with a debate that has virtually no relevance to her success.



Sorry, I'll shut-up now.


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## mossystate (Aug 14, 2006)

sirumberto said:


> Well, it depends on where you are, but the likely implication is that the person being asked is a bra burning man-hater. That's why I'm trying not to fault her for saying no.


bra burning manhater...wow..let's get you to the 21st century


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## sirumberto (Aug 14, 2006)

mossystate said:


> bra burning manhater...wow..let's get you to the 21st century



You're attacking the wrong soul here. You asked what the likely implication was. I answered. That's not what I think, but what I felt was implied by the question.

Edit: I just realized you we calling me out on assuming something and not asking me what I assumed. I think. Point taken. Just try to understand that I'm not the bad guy here. I just think it's a shame that we need all these damn -isms.


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## mossystate (Aug 14, 2006)

who is on first..heh


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## Fuzzy (Aug 14, 2006)

missaf said:


> Then they wouldn't let me play Powderpuff my senior year, I was too rough.



Note to Self: Missaf plays *too rough*.


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## Observer (Aug 14, 2006)

If I am correct, wasn't there a 300-plus pound teen age girl weightlifter from Georgia in the "98 Olympics?

She also made it clear that she would like to date and do girl things once the regiman of Olympic training was past. As I recall she won a silver medal that year.

What these athletes are saying is that they're doing their sports not to compete with guys or make a political statement but because they like doing it. They're still teenagers after all - I doubt if they could even tell you what NOW is or what Ruth Bader Ginzberg did before being appointed to the Supreme Court (she was NOW's attorney).. Nor should they be expected to!

(Hopefully this comment gets the focus of this thread back where I intended it - on the exceptional accomplishments of these young ladies. Kudo to both of them and anyone else following in their steps!)


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## eightyseven (Aug 15, 2006)

I'm just sad she wants to play for Ohio State, like her brother... my mortal enemy being a Michigan student! However, her brother does play for the Jets- my favorite pro team! I say good for her- let's just hope she doesn't get too much weight put on her shoulders. She's not playing football to make a statement, she's playing it because she loves the game. Let's not make her a freak show.


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## sirumberto (Aug 15, 2006)

eightyseven said:


> I'm just sad she wants to play for Ohio State, like her brother... my mortal enemy being a Michigan student! However, her brother does play for the Jets- my favorite pro team! I say good for her- let's just hope she doesn't get too much weight put on her shoulders. She's not playing football to make a statement, she's playing it because she loves the game. Let's not make her a freak show.



I think it's great what this girl is doing and I hope she kicks some ass out on the field. Though if she does play for OSU, I'm still rooting for Texas.

But I'll be rooting for her too. Just not the rest of the team.


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## AtlantaVixen (Aug 15, 2006)

Ah, she's 15. She still thinks feminist is a bad word. Wait until college. She'll change her mind.


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## The Obstreperous Ms. J (Aug 15, 2006)

Hurray!!!!
I applaud her for doing what she wants to do and if sports is her thing, then all the better.
I wanted to be a part of the football team in jr. high, but then I found shotput and discus.
Still, I'm all about Helen Hunt and Quarterback Princess  

View attachment quarterback.jpg


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## GregW (Aug 17, 2006)

Just found this thread and the link to the story did not work. I think that this is great! My 9th grade Football coach said "I put my absolute best 11 on the field" and those are true words of wisdom.
She sounds like an exceptional person and she may have the opportunity to perform at a world-class level in athletics. Shot Put, Discus, and powerlifting are terrific activities for the future, and I would highly, _highly_ suggest that she look into Judo for long-term purposes as well. Judo is a full-contact combative sport (all the slam-bang action of American football) where she can compete against women. In women's Judo, the heavyweight division is over 172 pounds. A track and field strength event athlete from my undergrad. university took up Judo and ended up representing the US in the Olympics. It will become _much_ more difficult for her to compete against men in football as the level of competition increases.
Inspiring!


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## Rainahblue (Aug 17, 2006)

missaf said:


> Let's concentrate on the positives here, and save the debates for Hyde Park. I'd hate to undermine the importance of this girl's accomplishment with a debate that has virtually no relevance to her success.



Well said. 

I can only echo - Good for her! She rocks! I bet she has a really supportive family to allow her to pursue her interests that way. My mother was horrified at seeing my fat thighs stuffed into short shorts for volleyball and never came to see my games, but I still lettered.  ​


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## FitChick (Aug 17, 2006)

mossystate said:


> Yeah, I cringed when I read that part..that she said it, and that the reporter thought it needed to be included.But, if she is a heterosexual girl, she might think she 'has to' be palatable to the dating pool.I hope that one day more girls like her will go after the dreams they dream and do not feel they have to forever be taking one lil step back once they do.




As a teen I was a runner and played baseball. I also sometimes played football. I was not a feminist. A girl doesn't have to be a feminist to be athletic or into "boy stuff".

I have a similar problem nowadays as a 40ish woman. Because I kept my surname when I married, people sometimes assume I'm a feminist until I set them straight. I let them know I kept my name not to be a feminist but for very patriarchal reasons: to honor my father who had no sons to carry on his name.


Never assume that a girl or woman does something out of feminist convictions. You might end up very shocked.


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## giuseppe (Aug 17, 2006)

elle camino said:


> she is adorable and i was totally loving the article until this:
> 
> but she's 15, so she's off the hook for a few more years.


What exactly is the definition of "feminist" these days in the US? In the rest of the world, a "feminist" is not far from "lesbian man-hater" in interpretation. Almost no European woman would refer to herself as a feminist, though ironically many men would, in an effort to be hip. 

The reason is that all of the obvious objectives that were once part of the feminist agenda have now become totally mainstream. It is assumed that in all aspect of life, women deserve equality, which is the result of the great achievements of the feminist movement over the past 30 years. It is also recognized that there is a way to go before there is true equality, but again this is a mainstream belief. There are different ideas as to how to address this, and the extent to which it still needs to be address, but these are not male vs. female divisions. 

In this context, a feminist would be defined by most people as someone who still believes that there is an evil conspiracy of men out there trying to deny her equality, and who looks at life as a battle between men and women, even though the men she believes she's battling against absolutely do not see it that way. 

Net, I have no idea what nerve was touched, but the criticism this girl received for saying she's not a feminist appears totally out of line. 

OK, now I'll get off my soap-box.


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## giuseppe (Aug 17, 2006)

Observer said:


> This is NOT a joke - the 5-9, 300 lb. "little" sister of an NFL football player is herself an offensive lineperson for her high school football team. FOX sports reports!
> 
> http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5836780?FSO1&ATT=HCP&GT1=8485
> 
> She's also won the Best Offensive Lineman award at Ohio State's summer football camp and does the discus throw in track and field, and holds the AAU national recoird for squat lifting, so this young lady needs to be taken seriously!


On a much more positive note: Do you people not realise that women's football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the US? Anytime I make it over I try to catch a game. There are plenty of big women playing, and the environment is a very positive one for them, in the sense that it's one of the few areas of life where an extra 50 lbs is definitely a good thing. If you're curious, just search women's football on the net. 

And for what it's worth, women's football is even more physical than men's football - after a game, the sideline looks like a warzone. But if any of you are tempted to try it, you'll be reassured to hear that it's usually the small thin players who get hurt - when there's a tough hit, usually the 350 lb linewomen tend to survive pretty much unscathed, but the 130 lb running backs they tackle don't usually get up so fast .. if at all. 

The bbws I know who play this say it's really great. The atmosphere, the feeling of their size being an advantage, the appreciation of their teammates - and the fact that they're usually the stars!


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## GregW (Aug 17, 2006)

I had forgotten about women's Football - it rocks!


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## mossystate (Aug 18, 2006)

FitChick said:


> Never assume that a girl or woman does something out of feminist convictions. You might end up very shocked.



FitChick..my point was that so many people trip all over themselves to make sure stupid questions like this are asked.It is rather like in many movies where they have to make sure that a strong female(mental and/or physical) has to be seen holding a baby or strapping on a pair of 8 inch heels...just so we are sure to know that she is still a 'real' woman.I really doubt this 16 year old brought up the whole feminist question.You might be shocked to understand how women are undermined by this shit all the time...and is one of the reasons that many people 'still' define themselves as feminists..much to your 
dislike.
For those who do not think 'we' should not bring up the F word comment in this article...this is no small thing, because it speaks to a larger prejudice ..and not on the part of this girl.
The folks who think ..man-hater..when they hear the word feminist..they are no different than any bigot who is afraid of the 'other'.You dont HAVE to label yourself, of course not, but at least have the intelligence to understand what the word(s) and ideas MEAN..and don't mean.
Now...I hope this kid has a hell of a great time in her pursuits and has the people around her to offer their support(bet even Susan B Anthony and Sojourner Truth are munching on popcorn and cheering .... )


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## FitChick (Aug 18, 2006)

mossystate: The feminists I encountered in the 1970s (feminism's "second wave") DID hate men, very much so. I don't think they all still do, but as a woman I just don't like anyone thinking I might be a feminist because that is not a label I care to be associated with.


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## crazygrad (Aug 20, 2006)

Do I have to put my teacher hat back on and reprint my shpiel about feminism and its many different goals, concerns and points of feminist activism?

I'm just glad she's a happy healthy young woman with an opportunity to do what she enjoys.


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## FreneticFangs (Aug 26, 2006)

http://eteamz.active.com/bjfootball/news/index.cfm?
Hopefully copy n paste will work on that link.

I think she's powerful and that makes her beautiful to me.
I'm a proud feminist. I don't see what that has to do with hating men. I just want us to be equals.


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## Still a Skye fan (Aug 28, 2006)

Observer said:


> This is NOT a joke - the 5-9, 300 lb. "little" sister of an NFL football player is herself an offensive lineperson for her high school football team. FOX sports reports!
> 
> http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/5836780?FSO1&ATT=HCP&GT1=8485
> 
> She's also won the Best Offensive Lineman award at Ohio State's summer football camp and does the discus throw in track and field, and holds the AAU national recoird for squat lifting, so this young lady needs to be taken seriously!




Bravo to this young woman!

I'm 5'10" and around 80-90 pounds lighter than this kid, so she'd probably clobber me on the field.

Good story!


Dennis


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