What makes a great athlete?  Is it dedication, perseverance, hard work and practice?  The most successful athletes push the boundaries of physical stamina and mental strength as they shatter the norms of society.  Freshman Skylar Horsley and junior Jackie Gigliotti are doing just that.

For the first time in the history of the Reagan’s football program, two girls are on the roster.  Gigliotti is the starting kicker on the JV team, while Horsley is a wide receiver.

To some it may seem ludicrous for Horsley and Gigliotti to even consider trying out, but these two girls could not care less about what people think about their decision.  

“My family encouraged me to try out because it is something I have always wanted to do,”  Horsley said.  

Since the mid 1800s, the game of football has been dominated by males.  Why did girls feel like they could not take part in this game? Was it the fear that they would be frowned upon for playing the sport?

“This sport has been known to be a man’s game, but the world is changing and we need to accept whoever wants to play, regardless of gender,” said teammate Tayshan Grant.  

Gigliotti started her football career when her friend, the former kicker, pushed her to try out last year.   He thought she had a stronger leg than he did.  Gigliotti is also a part of the girl’s soccer team and is currently being scouted by a few Division II colleges for soccer.

Growing up, Horsley was fascinated with the game of football, and she quickly fell in love with it.  Until recently Horsley has only played football on one occasion with a youth football team.  She was excluded from the team due to the fact that she was a girl.

Gigliotti and Horsley feel as though the guys accept them as teammates.   

“Our players do an awesome job of treating them just as they would treat anyone else,”said head football coach Josh McGee.  “We are a big family and everyone is respected.”

 However, they feel like the coaches take it easy on them.

 “The coaches don’t yell at us as much as they do the guys,” Gigliotti said.

On an average sports team there can be tension between team mates, but due to the difference of gender on the Reagan football team,  Gigliotti and Horsley may feel conflicted socially.

“They handle the social aspect of the team very well and they get along great with the team,” said coach Eric Rader.

Girls in general are stereotypically viewed as weak and un-capable of performing in athletics as well

as boys.

   “These two girls put in a massive load of work,” Grant said.  “Every day, no matter what the drill, they give 100 percent.”

Gigliotti’s overall  goal for this season is to improve her accuracy during kickoff and to raise the percentage of field goals she made makes.

“I feel like I have to prove myself to all the guys on the team as well as to the coaches,” Horsley said.  “ Every day after practice I go home and practice an hour more just to improve.

Horsley has one main intention this fall.

“My goal this season is to show all the guys that I belong.”