A First for Hopkins: Powderpuff Football

A First for Hopkins: Powderpuff Football

Allison Markowski, Staff Writer

Update 11/17/17: The Powderpuff game has been postponed until  Spring of 2018.

The Hopkins Academy Diversity Club has scheduled our first ever Powderpuff Football Game! This will be Hopkins’s first time in its 354 years of existence hosting such an event. A Powderpuff Game flips the traditional gender roles of boys as the players and girls as the cheerleaders. Instead, the girls will be on the field playing a game of flag football, while the boys will be on the sidelines cheering them on. The game will take place on Sunday, November 19th at 2:00pm on the Hopkins Academy campus.

This much anticipated event was put on hold last year due to a number of circumstances, and the Diversity Club is very excited to finally get the opportunity to make it happen. The two teams participating in the contest will consist of freshman & junior girls going up against sophomore & senior girls. Coaching the freshmen-junior team is junior Caleb Graves and freshmen Braeden Tudryn, and coaching the sophomore-senior team is junior Kyle Gido. At a previous lunchtime meeting, players voted for captains on both teams. For the freshmen-junior team, the captains are junior Abby Torres and freshman Ally Markowski. For the sophomore-senior team, the captains are senior Ali Stevens and sophomore Allison Kowal-Safron. Prior to the event, the teams have met three times for practice in the gymnasium to prepare for the match, working out plays and learning how to become a team. Boys have been practicing as well; at halftime, high school boys will put on a cheer routine led by Mr. O and Ms. Lanham.

Diversity Club Public Relations Manager Felicia Fil passed on the news that, “We [the Diversity Club] have collaborated with Student Council to allow participation at the game to count towards Spirit Week points. By doing this, we hope to increase participation, general school spirit, and enthusiasm for the game.” So, if you want to earn your grade some Spirit Week points, sign up! Each player will add one point to their grade’s overall Spirit Week total. There is currently a lack of girls on the freshmen-junior team, but anyone can still sign up. To sign up, sign the paper outside the gymnasium or talk to Mr. O or Ms. Lanham. This is a great opportunity to not only participate in an event never seen before at Hopkins Academy, but also compete in some friendly competition and have a great time. This event is open to all Hopkins Academy students and families, so come out and support our two teams as they go head to head for the first time. Hope to see everyone there!