Football player, Sarah Fuller, has been making headlines across the nation, and rightfully so. Fuller is the first female athlete to play Power 5 football. Power 5 is a major athletic conference for athletes. This is a big challenge, but Fuller is not one to back down. November 28 marks history, as she was the first woman to play in one of these highly competitive games. She was able to open the second half, kicking for Vanderbilt University, and her coach, Derek Mason, said she was able to execute the play designed. 

Sarah is not new to athletics in any means. At Vanderbilt University, she had been known as the women’s soccer team goalkeeper. With her powerful kicking ability and work ethic, the soccer team won the division one championship. The football season was still in progress, and the team found itself in desperate need of a kicker due to the ongoing pandemic. Fuller, who had previously played football in high school, was asked to fill in for the desperate football team. After gratefully accepting, the news reports started. 

Fuller was welcomed by the Vanderbilt team, the quarterback even told reporters “I can 100% ensure that Sarah was welcomed with open arms.” However,others were not as accepting of a woman making this type of history. Fuller received lots of hate online, with comments telling her she should not be playing a man’s sport, and she’s not ready. Luckily, Fuller keeps a level head, saying, “I have worked hard to get where I am, and I was in the right spot at the right time to be called up on the football team, and I’ve been working really hard to perform for them. So at the end of the day I don’t care what the negative is.” Fuller is setting a positive example for many who aspire to accomplish similar things. 

One thing many have noticed about Sarah, is the quote printed on her football helmet, “Play Like a Girl”. This is in reference to girls in STEM fields, who are pushed to compete and succeed in what is traditionally a “man’s world”. Sarah pushes for her fans to break the status quo, and do what they’re passionate about. This is why many give such great support to Sarah, including politician Hilary Clinton, who has said, “Thank you, Sarah, for helping to prove that women and girls belong on every playing field — quite literally.” It is this type of support that pushed Fuller to keep going, and inspiring many along the way.

Although her position on the field brings some controversy, Fuller works to help the team and support young women in the US. She may be just a kicker on a football team, but she is making history. It is shameful to see hate go her way, but it is much better to see how she handles it. Her actions will continue to inspire children for many years to come.