Howitt Middle School female soccer player assists football team
(Photo by Erin Keane)
Howitt Middle School’s Football team struggled with an inconsistent kicking game. The solution? Eighth-grade soccer player Gianna Recine. Coaches took notice of Recine’s strong boot while she was practicing with the middle school girls soccer team down at the other end of the field.
“I asked Gianna to come over and practice a few field goal kicks,” middle school football coach Colin Leary said. “It was obvious she was more than capable.”
After squaring away all the protocols with the athletic department and getting her parents’ blessing, Recine threw on football pads and practiced with the team. The rest is history.
“I’ve heard stories and seen shows about a girl being on the boy’s football team,and it was something that I always wanted to do,” Recine said. “When I got asked to join the team, I was going crazy with emotions. I was excited, scared and nervous.”
Recine went three-for-three in extra points in her debut against Oceanside, kicking the football dead center through the uprights. Farmingdale was victorious with a 36-0 win.
“Everyone has been so supportive and helpful during this experience,” Recine said. “When people pass me in the hallway at school, they don’t call me by my name anymore. They say, “Hey, kicker.”
—Submitted by the Farmingdale School District
