Since she was 8 years old, senior Paige Boudreau has been playing the most famous sport in the United Statesーfootball. While male-dominated, Boudreau didn’t let it stop her.

“It looked like fun, and I wanted to try it out,” Boudreau said. “On one of my brother’s teams, there was a girl who played with them. She was my main motivator in my decision to play.” 

The decision resulted in an 11-year football career. While being one of the few females on the field was rewarding for Boudreau, it also presented its challenges. 

Boudreau said there were times in her football career when she felt the discrimination due to her gender. “Being on a team with all guys is bound to get some talk,” she said. “Sometimes I heard it from my teammates, but once they all saw what I was capable of, they realized that a girl can play football just as well as a guy.” 

Boudreau, however, received the most taunting from other schools’ football teams. 

“Players from other teams definitely love to point out that I’m a girl, and sometimes mention it while we are on the field,” she said. “I would also hear it from parents and older people.” 

There was also the challenge of playing football for Pembroke Academy, a program that has historically struggled to win games. 

Until this past season, that is. The 2020 Spartans finished the season with a much-improved 3-6 record. “This season we actually competed with most teams,” said Boudreau.

But Boudreau said her  greatest achievement was playing for 11 years straight and “proving each year that [she] was good enough to be on the team and to get playing time.” 

“I wouldn’t trade my time on the field for anything,” she said.

While Boudreau does not plan on continuing her football career in college, she hopes to be involved as a coach or maybe even having her own kids play football one day.