Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Girls Play Football, Too
LINCOLN — The freckles and her ready smile may be charming, yet, 10-yearold Alexis Arnold is serious about playing football, a sport in which she has career aspirations.
Alexis likes reading, not just books, but also football plays and making tackles against boys as the only girl member of Lincoln’s fifth grade Pee Wee team.
“I just enjoy playing with the guys and tackling everybody,” Alexis said.
Tackling may become part of her job description should the 10-year-old follow either of her career aims to become a professional football player or police officer.
Lincoln police officer Mike Anderson, a 12-year veteran, said the way to a career in law enforcement is to follow a straight and narrow path.
“She basically needs to do what’s right and stay out of trouble. That will be the biggest step,” Anderson said.
As far as education, Anderson encourages Alexis to get her high school diploma, noting a girl doesn’t have to go to college to become a policewoman. He emphasized the main thing is to make the right decisions in life and maintain a good attitude.
“Stay out of trouble, stay away from drugs and alcohol, stay away from the wrong crowd. If she does that she’ll be well on her way. She’ll make a good pick for the job,” Anderson said, adding a clean record places a candidate miles ahead of other applicants when entering the field.
Playing football may serve as good training for a future cop. The pep talks may be similar.
“I want you guys ready to go. Get your game faces on. Come to the football field ready to work. You’ve got a job to do,” said Lincoln fifth grade Pee Wee coach Colburn Webb the evening before a recent game.
Alexis is the daughter of Michael and Amanda Arnold, whom she says are her role models. The family has lived in Lincoln two years. Big brother Blake, 12, plays on the Lincoln sixth grade Pee Wee team, and Alexis has a younger sister, Mika, 7.
Reading is her favorite subject and in her spare time she likes to read nonfiction and mysteries at home. Miss Lewis is her favorite teacher and she has a new best friend, Audrey, whom she just met at school this year.
This is Alexis’ first year out for football and she wears jersey number 61.
Alexis said her favorite moment in sports is to be in on a play to end the game “where I get to make the final tackle.”