A Season of Firsts

No one treated high school junior Laura Becerra any different. Her parents were supportive. Team mates took her in as one of their own.  But when the opposing players saw her flowing ponytail and pink mouthpiece they knew they were facing an unusual team.  Gender is the only difference between Becerra and her team mates from Robert Fulton College Preparatory School’s football team called the Jaguars.  Instead, the players share the experience of building a championship team during its inaugural season.

“We taught the kids football 101” said Coach Sean Jackson, who led the team to the City Section 8-Man Championship.  “They didn’t know the terminology or what to do with the equipment.  Their success is a testament to their hard work.”

The demand for football was loud and clear from students and parents as the Van Nuys campus entered its fourth year as a high school.  Given the enormous resources necessary to build a team from scratch, Principal Robert Garcia was initially reluctant.  With the support of LAUSD School Board Member Julie Korenstein, Garcia established a championship program with 31 students of which only three played football before, not to mention a player with one arm.

“Our players learned that staying a champion is harder than getting there.  Football has been a vehicle for this important life lesson,” Garcia said.Football brought about self discovery for senior Joaquin Briceño.

“I learned I have natural talent.  I’m going to stick with football and take it as far as I possibly can -- maybe in college,” Briceño said.

For Becerra, the experience gave her the joy of scoring a touchdown during a playoff game and a boost in confidence, just in time for the upcoming season.

“I don’t care what people say.  If I really want to do something, I can,” she said.