Saniya Shotwell of Oak Park, Karla Rodriguez Martinez of Gage Park and Emma Jazmin Valenzuela of Cicero have planted their flag for the growing sport.
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields signs an autograph for Saniya Shotwell during a visit to training camp, July 29, 2023, in Lake Forest. Shotwell and two other athletes are flag football players who received athletic scholarships to play in college.
The Chicago Bears and Chicago Public Schools have been collaborating to drive the growth of the girls flag football program since 2021, first in the city and now in the suburbs, opening new doors for young women to a sport that is not yet sanctioned as an official sport in Illinois. Chicago Bears GM, Ryan Poles, gives customized Bears jerseys to flag football players Saniya Shotwell, Emma Jazmin Valenzuela, and Karla Rodriguez Martinez during the Bears training camp on July 29, 2023, in Lake Forest.
“Sometimes we don’t get some opportunities based on how we look,” Shotwell said. “And to be the first ones to get these scholarships, and to be all women of color, it really gives more hope to other girls that anybody can do this. It doesn’t matter where you come from and we are just going to keep lifting each other.”
Martinez also will be the first one in her family to attend college thanks to the scholarship. It’s been a dream for her and her family.
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