This is the second article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
Aliyah Calvillo-Figueroa, a kicker and the sole female player on M-A’s varsity football team, embarked on her football career at the start of her sophomore year. Her passion for the sport, though, was kindled long before her high school debut: as a young girl, she cheered on her brother, who played football for M-A, along with his female teammate.
“There was a girl on my brother’s team named Laila Thompson, who was a kicker. When I would go to his games and they called her on the loudspeaker, I was like, ‘Wait, is that a girl?’ Since then, I’ve always wanted to play football,” she said.
Although football practice is now Calvillo-Figueroa’s favorite part of the day, her feelings about the sport have evolved. She didn’t join the football team in her freshman year, but her early experiences with M-A’s soccer and softball teams eventually helped her discover where her true passion lay.
Calvillo-Figueroa noted the differences from being on an all girls team to the only girl on a boys football team. “Being on a team with boys has been really fun and eye opening. I love seeing how strong the bond is that the boys have with each other,” Calvillo-Figueroa said.
Even though her experiences on the football team have been positive, she’s had to overcome challenges. “It’s hard during away games because some schools have to find me another locker room to change in, and if there are none, I have to change with the guys,” Calvillo-Figueroa said.
Though some may assume the boys on the team treat her differently, Calvillo-Figueroa doesn’t feel left out. “They treat me as if I’m one of the guys, but not in a bad way,” she said. “I guess for a girl to be on the team, they pick on me a lot, but they see me more like one of their brothers.”
Reminiscing about her final season, Calvillo-Figueroa will miss the long bus rides singing and cheering on the road with her “family.”
Her funniest memory is from her sophomore year, when her coach told her to kick a Point After Touchdown (PAT) during practice. It was Calvillo-Figueroa’s first time kicking, and she accidentally hit a lineman. “The boys always bring it up, they’ll probably never let it go,” she said.
After three exceptional seasons, Calvillo-Figueroa’s outstanding career as a kicker will soon come to an end. But, the memories and friendships she made will always be with her. “I feel like the bond I have with the boys on the football team it’s stronger than any bond that I would ever have with anyone else.”
