BY MADDY MORIARTY

The far-sideline of Mariemont’s home football game against Batavia was a royal blue and gold bustle of celebration. Mariemont was winning 42 to 0.

Standing 5 feet and 2 inches tall in a line of Mariemont’s largest athletes, Kat Embry  peered through her helmet at the action of the game that slowed to a halt after the blare of a whistle.

The coaches asked the team, “Who hasn’t gone in?” The answer was Kat, who was reluctantly listening to her fate being decided.

She ran out onto the field. The whistle blew, and she froze. But only for a second.

The next few minutes were Kat Embry’s first as the sole female player for the Mariemont High School varsity football team under the Friday night lights. 

***

Embry’s story begins in the spring of her freshman year.  

When the time came to register for the 2016 season of fall sports, Embry had already made up her mind.

“Girls don’t get to do a lot of contact-sports, and I wanted to play one. And I love football, so why couldn’t I do it?” says Embry.

After realizing she could not register for football, Embry’s mom called the school to question the registration options. The registration was subsequently changed.

“When her mom first reached out, I encouraged Kat to come talk to me. I wanted to know why. Is it a fad? But, as soon as I got the feeling that it was really genuine, it was my job as a coach to make sure she had every opportunity to play football. I’m all for it,” says head football coach, Kurry Commins.

Once registered, the first issue Embry had to tackle was being accepted into the “one-heart-beat” team.

“The team was like one big family that I was just thrown into the middle of. So, when I joined, it was just like ‘hey, we are family now…I guess I should really figure this out!,’” says Embry.

Embry’s first day with the Warriors was August 1st—the first day of the infamous “two-a-days.”

“I was slower than everyone else, but I tried my best to keep up,” Embry says.

Though Kat was initially intimidated by the physical ability of her teammates, Coach Commins believes that the key to being accepted into the dynamic of his team is not just capability, but trust.

“I think once the trust is earned from both sides, there is a transition period. This group has worked really hard in the off-season. For anyone just coming into the team, it would be tough. But I think she has done a really great job of showing that she belongs,” Commins says. 

The transition period, however, was not always easy for Embry.

“There was some good and there was some bad. Some of the seniors helped me with the drills and made sure that I knew what was going on. But there were people that thought I wasn’t a real football player,” she says.

Within a few weeks, Embry’s dedication to the sport swayed most of the nonbelievers.

Offensive lineman Lucciano Vitela says, “When we first saw her, we were all super surprised. We didn’t expect a girl on the team. I didn’t know her at all, but now we’re friends. I think everyone is fine with it now.”

At the annual meet-the-team night, when Embry announced her name and position to the stadium, she received an unusually loud barrage of cheering and clapping.

***

Since the start of the official season, Embry has played in both Junior Varsity and Varsity games.

“In my very first football game I froze up and just stood there. After standing for a second I looked around and saw everyone else moving and thought ‘They’re moving…I’ll just go where everyone else is going!’” she says.

During halftime, Embry also performs in the color guard with the band.

Her fellow color guard performer, MaryKate Keller, is a witness to all of Embry’s effort in both activities.

“Kat is just like every other football player in band; she kicks butt on the field and then runs out and joins us at halftime,” says Keller.

While Embry can occasionally be over-extended in terms of time commitments, she continues to participate because of her love for both activities.

“We all need to be encouraging and supportive of people who are willing to challenge the existing norm. It would be easy for her to just to be a part of the band because that’s comfortable. No matter if she plays two years or more, she will be a better person long term. Because she stepped out of the comfort zone,” says Commins.  

Embry plans on playing football for the rest of her time in high school.