Erika Hvolbeck

Fall 2015- College Essay

Standing on the sideline in the sweltering sun, I was an eleven year old Catholic schoolgirl with high hopes. I was dressed in bright yellow sports shorts, a black tank top, and my favorite pure white Nike sneakers, all the colors of the team we were rooting for. While I was supposed to be watching my younger, vivacious sister cheer for the Mavericks, my eyes were fixed on the game. Sunday morning football was a routine activity for my family. No, I did not want to be a cheerleader. I wanted to play, and I did just that.

“Wham”! I had done it. I had tackled Dario, the infamous quarterback of the best youth football team in the town. My dad, watching from the sideline, formed an ample smile. He was so proud of me. Not because of what I did, but because of who I was, and who I was growing up to be. Playing pickup football with a crowd of boys was nothing new to me. Football, classified as a boys sport was my notable activity. Black eyes, cuts, scrapes, and the occasional broken finger were all too common. It was unusual that I played: a small, lanky girl fell short of all the normal qualifications for the cutthroat sport of football. I didn’t care, I was good, really good.

At the age of thirteen, I was ready to shed my years of pickup football and play in the real league. My dad, who was overly protective of his baby girl, was reluctant to let me play in the real league; with the pads, bumps, bruises, and severe injuries that came along with it. I, on the other hand was determined to play, no matter what. I joined the boy’s flag football league of my town as a compromise.

As the first and only girl in the league, of course I was panicked and anxious. Luckily, “Big Dee”, a muscular man who was the founder and head of the league picked me to be on his team. Walking up to meet him was intimidating, yet I was surprised to walk into a hug rather than a handshake or a pat on the shoulder. I came to learn that he was a man with a big body, but even bigger heart. Learning how to play the game was easy under his guidance. Red right, blue left, 5 yards down, 5 yards across, my all-time favorites. Those were the codes for the running backs, forever engraved in my mind. Before I became one of the best running backs in the league, I was unaware that my legs were capable of spectacular things. They led me to the end zone for touchdowns many times. My speed was unreal and my ability to catch was nothing less than the best. I was a girl, and I was a football player.

Four years later, I stood on the turf, this time with fifteen other girls by my side, as I helped form the first girls flag football league in the county. I remember repeating before every game, “Tell us we cannot do it and we will not believe you.” The “us” referred to girls just like me. The “you” referred to society, and the people who did not believe in me. Now I coach a girls flag football team of my own. I have led them to believe that they are capable of anything they can imagine. The girls have the same ambitions and goals as I did, and that’s something special to hold on to.

As I played my last game, my heart was pumping with overwhelming adrenaline. The turf was following my trails behind my worn-out Nike sneakers- touchdown! Once again, an ample smile formed on my dad’s face, not because of what I did, but because of who I grew up to be.

Playing flag football as one of the first girls in the Greenwich Flag Football League was one of the most unforgettable and empowering experiences of my life. I still remember what it felt like to run onto the field, surrounded mostly by boys, but never once doubting that I belonged. Football wasn’t just about winning games or pulling flags—it was about learning how strong, capable, and determined I could be when I set my mind to something. Football gave me the confidence to lead, to compete, and to believe in myself, even when the odds felt stacked.

Now, years later, I live in New York City and work as a Finance Recruiting Manager at a wonderful company called Atrium. I help people find meaningful jobs in finance, and every day I carry the lessons I learned on that field with me. Being part of the Cowboys and that early chapter of Greenwich flag football helped shape who I am—it taught me that no dream is out of reach, and that I have the power to break barriers, push forward, and succeed wherever I go. That experience remains one of my favorite memories, and its impact will always stay with me.