SLOHS math teacher Rylee Birdsall has recently been named the first-ever head coach of the girls’ flag football team for the fall sports season. Photo courtesy of freshman Addison Hopple.
This upcoming fall trimester, San Luis Obispo High School will be adding girls’ flag football to the seven fall sports. Recently, SLOHS has announced that math teacher Rylee Birdsall has been appointed the girls’ flag football head coach.
Expressions decided to interview Mrs. Birdsall about her new and exciting role as head coach.
Expressions: Did anything in your background and experience in coaching sports inspire and lead you to coaching girls’ flag football?
SLOHS Math Teacher Rylee Birdsall: I have coached the Powderpuff girls for the past few years, so that gave me a lot of experience in how to teach girls how to play and what skills they need to focus on to be successful. I have also been an assistant coach and Frosh coach for girls soccer for the past 5 years, so that gives me some background on how to be an effective coach and communicate to players in a way they appreciate.
Expressions: What message do you want to send to the players about the importance of sportsmanship and competition?
Birdsall: For me, I love a good competition as long as it is fair. If there is poor sportsmanship on our team, it will be handled by the coaching staff immediately. We are starting a program and a reputation, and the legacy that we leave needs to be one in which all of our players worked hard, played fair, and were always respectful to everyone on and off the field.
Expressions: What attracted you to this position, and why did you feel it was the right fit for you?
Birdsall: I think what attracted me to this position was being a coach for Powderpuff for the past 4 years. I have always really enjoyed teaching the players how to play the game, run plays, and catch and throw. I feel like I enjoyed making practice plans for what skills the players were going to focus on and how to implement them in the actual game. I also enjoyed seeing their confidence in themselves build as the game got closer and closer.
Expressions: How do you plan to foster a positive and inclusive team culture among the players?
Birdsall: Building a positive and inclusive team among players comes down to creating a strong team culture. I think building a team culture comes from spending time together and understanding that everyone has a unique perspective and that every perspective is accepted and recognized. To create this, there needs to be clear communication about the commitment to the team and that if players are not treating each other with respect, there will be clearly defined consequences. We want to make sure that everyone feels welcomed and comfortable, so to do that, we need to make sure everyone, coaches and players, understand the expectations.
Expression: What emotions did you feel when you learned you had been selected as the head coach for the girls’ flag football team?
Birdsall: Excited, of course! I know there is a lot of potential in being part of the first girls’ flag football team, and I also know that SLO High has always been gifted with strong athletes, so I am excited to see where we go and what they can do!
Expressions: What are your goals for the team this season, both in terms of player development and team performance?
Birdsall: I think one goal for player development is to focus on improving their overall skills. Since it is the first year of the program, I think a major focus just needs to be on learning how to properly throw, catch, defend, and maybe even work on their footwork. As for a team goal, I think focusing on making sure the team chemistry is there and that there is cohesion among the players and coaches. This would come from doing some intentional team bonding activities or having all the players come together and work on creating their own player-focused goals. That way, everyone feels like they are a part of the team and have a say in what they feel is important for the team to focus on.
With Birdsall as the first-ever SLOHS girls flag football head coach, her passion for coaching and commitment to creating an inclusive environment will help her team to grow both on and off the field. Get ready, SLOHS—girls’ flag football is here, and it’s going to be a blast!
