Seven-year-old Julia Arnold thought she wanted to be on the cheer squad for the Upper Loudoun Youth Football League: “I started cheer, and then I looked at the boys and said, ‘I’m done with cheer. I want to play football. That looks really fun for me.'”
The 2nd grader’s parents Karen and Jeramy Arnold said their daughter has just finished her first season in the league, as the sole girl player in the league that covers western Loudoun County. Other county leagues also have players who are girls.
“I get to tackle people all I want and I don’t get into trouble,” Julia said.
She remembers telling her parents she wanted to play, rather than cheer: “They were really happy for me because they knew that would be a great sport for me.”
When her parents were asked if they were concerned for her safety, her mom said “I wanted to give her the opportunity. I thought it was a fair shot, and try it, and see if you like it. She ended up loving it the whole time.”
Jeramy said he hadn’t played organized football when he was a boy: “My parents said it was too violent.”
But, when his daughter asked, he said “Go for it — it’s your decision.”
Playing offensive line as a tackle, and defensive end, “She really did hold her own, most of the time,” Karen said. “Some of the boys had a really hard time getting her down.”
Julia demonstrated how to tackle: “You have to grab them under the arm pits. And grab them around the hips.”
Jeramy and Karen like that Julia’s coaches are teaching the fundamentals.
“It’s three-point stance, it’s proper blocking, proper tackling technique, heads-up football,” said her father. “There’s a lot going on, especially at this age group because you have to lay the foundation for them to continue their career and just have fun.”
