UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (DC News Now) — As the summer kicks in, many young athletes will try to continue playing their favorite sports with summer leagues.
Football players tend to gravitate toward 7-on-7 and flag football leagues which are not difficult to find, unless you’re a young girl.
“She’s been on the sideline of my game, so she’s wanted to play but it really just didn’t exist.” said former professional women’s football player and mother, Lauren Price. “I felt like it was a chance at just starting to create that lane, not just for her, but for other little girls as well.”
Price is the head coach and creator of DMV Prime Elite, an 8U girls flag football team. The team consist of girls from D.C. and Prince George’s County, a team that Price said is the first of it’s kind in the county.
Price said the team held open workouts to all girls who would want to play, allowing everyone a chance at playing organized football. Though the team has had challenges from the weather. The team was supposed to play earlier this month, but due to a record heatwave, the game was canceled.
“These young ladies were literally crying, I have phone calls and text messages from their parents.” Price said. “They say they were literally in tears. That’s how passionate they are about the game.”
The team shows that passion any chance they can get, and have “a chip on their shoulder that can grow in the future,” according to coaches.
“Once they understand the gender aspect of it, I make it more competitive,” coach Mike Wright, said. “But they young, eight or 9 years old. They just having fun.”
The team agrees, while still showing bravado.
“We’re gonna win all the games,” said Cameron Goodall, a player on the team. “The games coming up, the upcoming games, all of them.”
The team will get a little bit of a break before their next tournament, which will be on July 20 in Upper Marlboro.
