The hot sun is beating down as she sprints up the field, her ponytail swinging behind her. She scans the sky looking for the brown leather ball that comes speeding like a bullet towards her. She spots it, reaches her arms upwards, and feels her fingers come to grip the firm skin of the football. Running Back freshman Staci Laramore has just caught another pass made to her during a game.

Laramore has been playing football the past seven years, first starting out with flag football, but moving on to tackle after her first year. She now plays as both running back and weakside inside linebacker for the freshman football team, making her the only girl to be playing this year.

“I feel like I have to prove myself sometimes,” Laramore said. “I have to work twice as hard as the boys just to be taken seriously. Some people say girls shouldn’t play football, but there’s no room for feeling sorry for myself. I just have to get out there and prove that I deserve to be on the team.”

When not on the field Laramore often spends her time focusing on her studies, babysitting, or spending time with her friends. She also enjoys watching the Texans, an NFL team from Houston. At the end of the day, however, football is what she wants to do.

“[I love] the intensity,” Laramore said. “Football is a very high intensity sport. You never know how hard someone is going to get hit or if it’s going to hurt. You just have to suck it up and [do it] either way.”

Laramore looks up to athletes such as her older brother and sister, who participated in basketball and rowing respectively.

“My brother just graduated last year and is in the military,” Laramore said. “He’s had to overcome a lot of things physically and mentally. My sister is a speech pathology student and I would only hope to be as smart as she is.”

Laramore wants to follow in the footsteps of her brother, hoping to be involved in the military and become a combat medic when she is older. This would mean that after completing basic medical and military training, she would be deployed to a war zone and assist civilians or soldiers that need medical attention.

“Growing up, I wanted to be in a position where I could help people,” Larmore said. “I [want] to serve. Being a combat medic, I [would] have a chance to do both.”

In her future career as a high school football player, Laramore may have to switch to the position of kicker or receiver as her male competitors would likely surpass her in size and speed that would make it difficult to continue as a runningback or linebacker.

“I hope I see [my teammates] playing varsity football at some point,” Laramore said. “Of course I hope to reach that level, but sometimes we have to be realistic. I definitely strive to get on varsity.”

Due to being the only girl on freshman, JV, or Varsity football this year, Laramore could become a role model for younger girls attending the games.

“I hope this shows girls that they can do whatever they want as long as they put their mind to it,” Laramore said. “Don’t underestimate [girls]. We may look small and delicate, but we’re not.”