When most of us think of football, we think of rough-and-tumble dudes knocking each other around on the gridiron.
Well Sebastian River High School has added its own dimension to the sport locally. Anistasia Hooker was sitting in class talking about football with some of the Shark players when the topic of kicking field goals and extra points came up.
Anistasia played soccer for several years and she thought she could do it. Her teacher was listening to the conversation and just happened to be one of the assistant football coaches and he suggested Anistasia try a couple of extra points after school. “I had my regular tennis shoes on and I kicked it through on my first try,” she said. “After that, the coach told me to go over with the rest of the boy kickers.”
Anistasia’s mother, Susie Wilson–Hooker, had some reservations about her daughter playing football. “I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Can they tackle you? Do not run with the ball’,” she said. “I was concerned because I didn’t want her to get hurt. Anistasia has always been the salt of the earth to me and never ceases to amaze me. I’m just overwhelmed with joy.”
Hooker made the Junior Varsity squad and suited up with the team for her first game last Thursday against Westwood. Hooker admits that she was nervous about kicking in a game.
“All this became real for me when it was time to kick the extra point and I just wanted everything to go as planned,” she said. “When I made it I was so excited that I forgot my kicking tee on the field and they had to go get it for me. The guys were super-supportive and they’re like my brothers.”
With that made extra point, Hooker became the first female to score in a high school football game in Indian River County. Anistasia hopes her decision to play football with the boys team will inspire other girls to challenge themselves. “I think girls can do anything guys can and all it takes is support.”
