It only took a few video clips for Ausable Valley High School’s football program to realize a female soccer player would be their starting kicker. Addie Stanley, a junior at Ausable Valley, along with her dad Matt Stanley went to the high school’s football field one day to kick the football around, a change from normally kicking the soccer ball as a midfielder for the school’s girls’ varsity soccer squad. “One day we were here there were footballs, so me and my dad kicked a few,” Addie said. “He recorded them, sent them to the coaches and they were like, ‘we want her on the team.’”Matt’s decision to record his daughter led the coaches to give her a spot as the first girl to play on the football team by her sophomore year. The team’s players are not only in support of their coaches but are also impressed with what Addie can do.“She don’t miss,” said Ausable Valley senior quarterback Carson Garcia. “Unless it gets blocked, but she don’t miss when it’s not blocked.”“She can kick about 40 yards in practice pretty consistently,” said Ausable Valley senior lineman Zach McLean.It’s an accomplishment that is heartwarming for the Stanley family. Addie’s older sister Jenna Stanley was also thinking of kicking for the football team. While Jenna was not able to do it after graduating from Ausable Valley last year, being a part of both teams is something Addie does not take for granted. “It’s super awesome,” Addie said. “Both teams have such a great atmosphere, and both are just so welcoming and open to me being able to play on both teams.”Addie spends most of her time practicing on the pitch but will head over to the turf field to football practice after soccer practice or before a soccer match later that night. Whenever she practices with the football team, the guys appreciate her humor. “If someone messes up, she’ll say she can do something better,” Garcia said. “Throw it better than me, block better than Zach, you know, typically guy talk, but it’s coming from a girl so it’s even funnier.”Addie’s first game was during her sophomore year against Beekmantown High School. After nailing her first extra point attempt in the game, the team rewarded her the next day with a football signed by the entire team with the message: “first girl to score a point for Ausable.”“Just being able to do things like that representing my school’s soccer team and football team,” Addie said. “It’s super exciting and I’m glad to get to represent young girls, just to show that girls can play football.”Addie is not the only girl to play on Ausable Valley’s football teams, with girls playing on the modified squad and one girl playing on the junior varsity team, all of which are trying different positions other than kicker. “They’re actually tackling,” Addie said. “More girls should be playing football. I think it’s awesome that girls are showing up at a male-dominated sport.”It’s a monumental step for the program for girls like Addie to cross new barriers, leading others in the Ausable Valley community to notice what she is doing.“I think it’s great that she is able to do both,” Addie’s soccer head coach Lindsey Douglas said. “Football is mostly a male-oriented sport, so to watch a female rock in that position is incredible.” “Seeing her succeed in a sport where not many girls play is definitely a cool thing to see and special to be a part of,” Garcia said. Addie has yet to score a field goal this season but has nailed multiple PATs. Coincidentally enough, she will look to score her first field goal Friday, Oct. 7 against Beekmantown at 7:30 p.m.
It only took a few video clips for Ausable Valley High School’s football program to realize a female soccer player would be their starting kicker.
Addie Stanley, a junior at Ausable Valley, along with her dad Matt Stanley went to the high school’s football field one day to kick the football around, a change from normally kicking the soccer ball as a midfielder for the school’s girls’ varsity soccer squad.
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“One day we were here there were footballs, so me and my dad kicked a few,” Addie said. “He recorded them, sent them to the coaches and they were like, ‘we want her on the team.’”
Matt’s decision to record his daughter led the coaches to give her a spot as the first girl to play on the football team by her sophomore year. The team’s players are not only in support of their coaches but are also impressed with what Addie can do.
“She don’t miss,” said Ausable Valley senior quarterback Carson Garcia. “Unless it gets blocked, but she don’t miss when it’s not blocked.”
“She can kick about 40 yards in practice pretty consistently,” said Ausable Valley senior lineman Zach McLean.
It’s an accomplishment that is heartwarming for the Stanley family. Addie’s older sister Jenna Stanley was also thinking of kicking for the football team. While Jenna was not able to do it after graduating from Ausable Valley last year, being a part of both teams is something Addie does not take for granted.
“It’s super awesome,” Addie said. “Both teams have such a great atmosphere, and both are just so welcoming and open to me being able to play on both teams.”
Addie spends most of her time practicing on the pitch but will head over to the turf field to football practice after soccer practice or before a soccer match later that night. Whenever she practices with the football team, the guys appreciate her humor.
“If someone messes up, she’ll say she can do something better,” Garcia said. “Throw it better than me, block better than Zach, you know, typically guy talk, but it’s coming from a girl so it’s even funnier.”
Addie’s first game was during her sophomore year against Beekmantown High School. After nailing her first extra point attempt in the game, the team rewarded her the next day with a football signed by the entire team with the message: “first girl to score a point for Ausable.”
“Just being able to do things like that representing my school’s soccer team and football team,” Addie said. “It’s super exciting and I’m glad to get to represent young girls, just to show that girls can play football.”
Addie is not the only girl to play on Ausable Valley’s football teams, with girls playing on the modified squad and one girl playing on the junior varsity team, all of which are trying different positions other than kicker.
“They’re actually tackling,” Addie said. “More girls should be playing football. I think it’s awesome that girls are showing up at a male-dominated sport.”
It’s a monumental step for the program for girls like Addie to cross new barriers, leading others in the Ausable Valley community to notice what she is doing.
“I think it’s great that she is able to do both,” Addie’s soccer head coach Lindsey Douglas said. “Football is mostly a male-oriented sport, so to watch a female rock in that position is incredible.”
“Seeing her succeed in a sport where not many girls play is definitely a cool thing to see and special to be a part of,” Garcia said.
Addie has yet to score a field goal this season but has nailed multiple PATs. Coincidentally enough, she will look to score her first field goal Friday, Oct. 7 against Beekmantown at 7:30 p.m.
