SAINT LANDRY PARISH, La. (KLFY) – Lawtell Elementary in St. Landry Parish is experiencing some firsts this season, introducing the first women to play for its team.
Maddison Dabney, 13, and Ja’Vonnia Reese, 12, are tackling stereotypes and making history at Lawtell Elementary. At their first soccer game, both girls show that they have what it takes.
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Both Dabney and Reese are the Trojans’ starting players on both offense and defense. Dabney and Reese said their main goal is to prove that girls can play soccer.
“Football is a competitive sport and I could show you all that girls can play it too. It’s not just a boy’s sport,” Dabney said.
“This year they decided to let girls play, so I’m going to prove them wrong,” Reese said.
Dabney said even though soccer is a tough sport and training takes place in the heat, she is made for it and can take any punch that comes her way. She said she was a tough girl who always wanted to play soccer because as a child she watched her older brother play and he was always her inspiration. He was the one who encouraged her to try out for the team.
Assistant coaches Jordan Jason and Tyler Williams said it’s the first time their school has had female soccer players on the team and that won’t change the way they coach the team. They say the girls work just as hard as their male teammates and put in the same effort to help their team win.
“Both girls we have on our team rose to the challenge,” Jason said. “They did everything we needed them to do, so we’re proud of them and know they’re capable of playing with these guys.”
“The girls take to the teaching and coaching just as well as the boys, if not sometimes better than the boys,” Williams said. “And they are also very disciplined and know how to behave as football players.”
At their first game, Dabney and Reese said they were excited and would win or lose, soccer was their sport and they were here to stay.
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