Introducing Toni Harris: One of the World's First Woman to Receive A Scholarship for Football—Reigning Women

Okay, so as you all know I'm absolutely obsessed with women who do things outside of what is considered, "normal." When women break, no- demolish ceilings set in place by our patriarchal world, I completely geek out.

Yesterday, I published my review on the Captain Marvel movie, starring the talented Brie Larson, the world's newest (and greatest) superhero. In writing it, I felt nothing but a sense of pride and excitement in knowing what an impact the film would have on the female and media world.

See, every morning I sit with a cup of coffee and read up on what's going on in the world, and every morning it seems like another female in another place is doing another thing to push the female (and human) agenda forward.

So naturally, when I read a recent article about Toni Harris and her receipt of a football scholarship to play football at Central Methodist University in Missouri, I damn near spilled my coffee.

This story, I have to say, hits a little bit closer to home than some of the others I've written. I grew up playing sports and ended up playing softball in college. Growing up in an athletic world and being talented at sports (as talented as I could be at least) was never an easy thing.

If I beat a boy a something, I got picked on. If I hit harder, kicked farther, or got picked over a boy, it'd usually follow with mean comments or whispers about my "masculinity." The insecurities of my male counterparts had been evident early on, and it carried into much of my life.

This, in a very small dose, reflects an ongoing and significant dilemma that young female athletes face all over the country. Leaving them with a question they should never have to answer: Societal standard or an athletic career?

For so many reasons this question puts undeserved stress on young women. Some of which include body image, others including social life and pursuit of a future. For the sake of complexity and for honoring a remarkable accomplishment, I'll save the in-depth conversation surrounding those issues for another article (lol).

So? Let's talk Toni Harris.

Antoinette "Toni" Harris recently received the opportunity of a lifetime in receiving a scholarship to play University-level football, a sport that is nearly 100 percent male-dominated.

This scholarship, that is not only impressive, also carries great historical weight, as Harris is the first women ever to receive a scholarship in defense. Recruited as a free safety, Harris hopes to continue her play at the extremely difficult position in her collegiate career.

This historical feat is one of only two scholarships to be received by a woman to play football at the college level, the first received by Becca Longo, a kicker who made waves for Adams State University.

Now, women haven't been completely left on the sidelines in time's past. There have been multiple women who have played football at the college level prior and between Longo and Harris's accomplishments, but the two are the first to ever receive scholarships for their athletic participation (noted from ESPN).

Now, here's something that had me #shook. This offer by Central Methodist is not the only one Harris received. In fact, it's one of six offers presented to Harris during her recruiting process.

When I read this? I was like, "Yes, girl!!!"

To know that there are women our there grabbing attention from places that are nearly-entirely male-dominated sets a different standard in young female athletes.

The message instead of, "There's a girls team for that" or "There's no girls team for that, pick another sport," switches to "Let's see what she's got," and gives young athletes something different to work toward.

As I reflect on my own athletic career, I find this extremely important.

I'm 24, and a lot of my athletic idols growing up were women in college. With a severe lacking in women's professional sports programs at the time, collegiate sports were the big leagues for young girls like me.

Fast-forward to 2019 and there are a substantially higher number of females in professional sports both as athletes and professionals of many proportions. Still, we have a long we have a long way to go.

Something as unheard of as this, a scholarship granted to a woman to play college-level football, creates an entirely new role model for young girls in the world.

Instead of playing soccer when they want to play football, a little girl might now more readily believe that her journey to college football as possible and fight to play for her town's football program.

Instead of feeling scared or nervous to out-run, out-catch, out-throw, and overall outperform any of their male peers, a young woman a might shed her doubts and pressures and know now that there is something on the other side of being all that you genuinely are.

This, among all things, is the biggest accomplishment to be made. In my opinion, the successes of these incredible women such as Harris and Longo are among some of the best successes for the female world.

To Harris, who says, "I don't let anything stop me," we tip our crowns and hold this accomplishment so close to our hearts.