In the windy Chicago suburb of Evanston, I defied the odds and rewrote the narrative for young women in sports.
My name is Lucinda Lindland and I’m a 20-year-old sports fanatic. I grew up in a football-obsessed household so passion for sports, especially football, runs deep in my veins. As a fifth-grader at Washington Elementary School, flag football was one of the only activities I wanted to participate in. Summer was ending and school was starting up, and flag football season was fast approaching.
On tryout day, I couldn’t help but notice one thing: I was the only girl in a room full of boys.
It was hard. I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. I felt like I was somehow less capable because I was a girl. It was a weird feeling, because growing up, my older brothers taught me how to throw a spiral, showed me different plays, and told me all the rules of the game. They encouraged me to play and to love the game.
Before the tryouts began, I walked over to get a sip of water to refresh myself. I was shaking with nervousness and couldn’t find a way to calm my nerves.
After a few minutes, I saw an epiphany beneath the uncertainty.
I looked down and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pair of shiny new shoes. My two older brothers, Charlie and Sawyer, had pooled together their money to buy me these shoes for football tryouts. They were light and a bright, vibrant color, and I loved them.
The colors made me feel alive.
I gave myself the courage to challenge the other boys on the field. As I ran faster, threw harder and competed harder than the other boys, my shoes gave me the encouragement and motivation I wanted.
As I stood on the playing field, I realized I wasn’t alone in this challenge, but part of something much bigger than myself — it was for every young girl whose love for sport shines but whose first sign of hesitation keeps her from taking that first step toward her dream.
I completed every pass, every handoff with a fierce determination that stretched across the field, and with each play that followed, my confidence grew.
The next day, the tryout list was released and I found myself at the top. Lucinda Lindland: Quarterback. “My brother’s encouragement and dedication showed me I could do it,” I thought with a smile.
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Now, in 2024, I’m 20 years old and remembering those days on the flag football field and applying the inspiration I got back then to situations in my life.
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