ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A New Mexico flag football team has been invited to represent the Denver Broncos in a flag football championship by the NFL. “Excitement, shock, everything,” explained Tia Martinez, head coach for the Twisted Sister Flag Football NM about her reaction to the invite. “It’s an amazing opportunity for these girls.”
Martinez’s team stands out from the rest. They’re the only all-girls flag football team in New Mexico. Twisted Sister wide receiver and quarterback, Adalyn Huizar, says she got into the sport to prove a point.
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“I just wanted to start doing it because people were like, boys were saying that it’s only a boy’s sports, girls can’t play, and I really just wanted to learn how to play so I could prove them wrong,” said Huizar.
Now, Huizar plans on making the trip to Canton, Ohio next month for the tournament. “I’ve never been that far out of state,” Huizar added.
Coach Martinez says the team is expected to play three games in mid-July but could play more if they do well. However, they’re still looking for a couple of players between the ages of 16 to 18 to complete the roster ahead of the tournament. Martinez says she hopes to see more girls find interest in the sport and would like more female coaches to join the league.4
“When they see our girls playing in their games, a lot of parents from other teams stop by and freak out, and they’re like “look, there’s a girls’ team,” and they start asking questions like how can we get on the team,” Martinez said.
The team is looking for a sponsor and has started a GoFundMe to help cover extra costs.
