A Letter from Emily Preston to Jen Welter

When I grew up, there was no future for girls and women in football. Now, girls who love the game can look at the progress of the sport through leagues like the IWFL and the WFA, and even further, grow up with Gold Medal Dreams. As one of the countless women who has dedicated my life to football, sometimes I forget how far we have come, or maybe, don’t quite grasp the impact we have had.

 So, thank you to Emily for reaching out, sharing her story, and confirming how important it is for women to play the game of football! ~ Thank you for allowing me to share this with everyone Emily.

Hi Jen,

My name is Emily and I’m a soon-to-be high school senior. My junior year, I played for our school’s JV team—it was the first year I’d ever done it, though I’d known about women’s football leagues and the many women and girls who play football across the country for a few years. I think I was hooked on it before I even put on pads, but the moment I did, I knew that there was no way I would ever not want to play this game. This year, since I am going to be a senior, I will have to play on our high school’s Varsity team—I am exceptionally lucky, because our high school does not have try-outs or make cuts; if you show up every day, get good grades, and don’t mess around, you can stay (that’s not to say our Varsity isn’t good—we are expected to make a run for state this year, I am very happy to say!). I am lucky because this will be only the second year I have ever played football, and quite frankly, it’s very apparent. Like you, I am 5’2” (well technically 5’1 & ¾”, but who’s counting?), and there have been many times when I felt extremely discouraged, partly because I simply am not yet even a decent player, partly because others thought I would be easily hurt and not much rewarded for it, and partly because I knew that my small size would always be a disadvantage, even if I were to play against other women. However, I stayed with the team, and while I have had several hiccups this year, being unsure of whether I should continue playing football as a senior or not, I have decided that I will do just that. Part of the reason why I feel confident in my ability to survive as a member of this all-boys team is because I know that someone else who is the same size as me has done the exact same thing, only the people she went up against were probably even bigger. I am lucky to have very supportive teammates who respect me enough to not go easy on me because of my gender, but who are also aware of the disadvantage my limited size and experience bring. It’s my dream to one day play in the WFA or IWFL, and right now I feel like I could play this game forever. I've absolutely fallen head over heels in love with it, and I hope that never changes. I wanted to write you this letter because I felt that I owed something to you in the sense that you made me realize that yes, I am small, and yes, I am a girl, but there is and always will be a place for me in football. 

Thank you. 

Emily