Mansueto Female Athletes Make Their Mark in the End Zone

In this image, there is a photo in the background of the Mansueto High School girls' flag football team and coaches posing in front of their travel van after a great win. On the left, Mansueto principal Nora Lawrence is doing the splits in the Mansueto Leopards mascot costume. Over top of the photo, there is a blue transparent layer. On top of that in the bottom left corner, there is blue text on a yellow background that reads "Mansueto Female Athletes Make Their Mark in the End Zone". The Noble Schools logo is in the bottom right corner.
Published On: December 22nd, 2022Categories: 2022, Athletics at Noble, Campus Life, Equity at Noble, Mansueto High School, Staff, Students

This is part of a series of blogs from Noble campus representatives to give a deeper look at campus life.

Girls can play football, too.

This is what Anthony Leigh, football head coach at Mansueto High School, set out to make sure that everyone knows. With that goal in mind, he launched Mansueto’s first ever girls flag football team in 2021. That year, Mansueto became one of 22 schools in the city to launch the inaugural Chicago Public Schools flag football league.

“It was an easy decision as an athletic director to bring in the sport… I wanted to make sure we could offer as many opportunities as possible to our female athletes,” Leigh said.

He also said it was easy because he loves the game of football and wanted to provide a non-collision version to athletes who wanted it.

Image shows the Mansueto High Schools girls' flag football team gathered on the field with their coaches.

IMG_1042-Edit

The team makes adjustments at halftime led by Coaches Anthony Leigh (center) and Paulina Victor (right). Photo Credit: Anthony Vivian, Class of 2024

Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in America, according to the NFL. In Chicago, the number of schools offering flag football grew from 22 to 66 in one year alone. The state of Illinois had 78 total programs this past season and forecasts a number in the 100s for next school year. Colleges are starting to notice this rapid growth. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) launched 15 collegiate flag football programs in the summer of 2020. Young ladies across the country can now be recruited to play flag football at the collegiate level and earn athletic scholarships.

Serenity Hodges is a Leopard who is making that her goal.

“Last year was my first year playing flag. Honestly, it was tough. It didn’t go well for me. I constantly felt like quitting. I told myself I wasn’t going to join the team again,” said Serenity, a junior at Mansueto. But even after the rough start, she kept going. She’s now just completed her second season with the team.

“I’m glad I came back though. I’ve improved so much. I learned the importance of never giving up,” Serenity said, “ You win some and you lose some.”

Leigh was also ecstatic that Serenity returned for her junior season.

“Serenity is a tremendous athlete who has grown so much in her time with the team,” Leigh said, “Her ability to dominate the game was on display in our victory over Hubbard High School. In that game, Serenity accounted for 32 of our 34 points.”

During the game, Leigh said she had three offensive touchdowns and one two-point conversion. She also had two interception returns for touchdowns – including one of 95 yards!

Image shows Mansueto High School flag football athlete and junior Serenity Hodges making a break away from the opposing defense on her way to a touchdown.

IMG_1195-Edit

Serenity Hodges, Class of 2024, breaks away from the opposing defense on her way to a touchdown. Photo Credit: Anthony Vivian, Class of 2024

Serenity’s performance this past season earned her the honor of being selected to attend the NAIA Showcase which was hosted at Halas Hall – the training facility of the Chicago Bears. The showcase featured outstanding flag football athletes from throughout the state of Illinois.

“When I got to Halas Hall I was so nervous. It was a different atmosphere being where the Chicago Bears practice,” Serenity said, “I quickly realized that there was nothing to be nervous about. Every single girl there was nervous too. Every girl there was new to the sport just like me.”

Serenity was joined at the NAIA Showcase by one of her teammates, Sandy Cortina – a senior who just finished her first year of flag football.

Sandy started flag football this year because she wanted to try a new thing.

“I like trying new things. Especially things that help me expand my abilities as an athlete,” Sandy said.

Sandy has been a member of the girls’ soccer team throughout her tenure at Mansueto. A team that won the 2022 Noble League Championship.

“When I joined flag football, I was scared. Nervous. I never even really watched football. I didn’t know any of the rules or positions,” Sandy said, “My coaches and teammates really helped me grow and open up… I have nothing but respect for my teammates, Coach Leigh, and Coach Victor. They helped us build a family.”

Photo Credit: Anthony Vivian, Class of 2024

Coach Paulina Victor had nothing but glowing remarks to share about Sandy.

“Sandy was a co-captain in our latest season. She was named a captain because of the leadership she brought to our team. She showcases discipline, strength and heart. She is able to connect with others so easily and speak about important issues. She is a fearless player who refuses to be anything less than her best both on and off the field,” Victor said.

Sandy was even named the 2022 Noble League Athlete of the Year for flag football.

Like Serenity, Sandy also had an amazing experience at the NAIA Showcase.

“I was really nervous when we first got there, but that changed once we got on the field. We had professional coaches running us through drills. Coaches from the NFL and colleges were there training us, pushing us, and scouting,” Sandy said.

Both players were excited about the collegiate presence at the event.

“All the college coaches pitched their programs. It was really cool to hear them talk about their athletic facilities and scholarship opportunities. It made me really motivated to improve and aim to get a scholarship next year,” Serenity said.

“There were coaches from Florida, Nebraska, Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and more… All the coaches spoke to us and gave us advice. They all emphasized their dedication to helping the sport grow in our country,” Sandy said with a smile on her face.

Coach Leigh and Coach Victor love what the sport is doing for the girls.

“Taking part in flag football is a rewarding experience for both athletes and coaches. As a coach, you are given the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the players who step on the field,” Coach Victor said.

She continued, “For a lot of our athletes, the team acts as their second family – and many of their problems outside of sports fade . Being able to provide students with a healthy outlet is the most amazing pay-off. You help players learn how to approach wins and losses, good and bad days. We instill focus, patience, and persistence that our athletes will carry with them everywhere they go.”

Read more about what’s happening on our campuses…

We want to write the stories you want to read.

Take our short survey to let us know what you want to see on the Noble blog:

Share This Story, Choose Your Platform!

We want to write the stories you want to read.

Take our short survey to let us know what you want to see on the Noble blog:

Follow us on social media for more updates about what’s happening on our campuses:

For information about enrolling at a Noble School or employment opportunities please, click below.

Image shows a photo in the background of Hansberry College Prep students who are part of the Beats Club. They are in a classroom, posing beneath a projector screen that reads "Beats Club Welcome!!!" with headphone imagery in the bottom right corner. On top of that photo, there is a blue transparent layer. On top of that, in the bottom left corner, there is blue text on a yellow background that reads "Laying Down Bars in Beats Club at Hansberry". The Noble Schools logo is in the bottom right corner.Laying Down Bars in the Beats Club at Hansberry College Prep
The image has a background photo of the social work team at Noble Street College Prep in Santa hats and smiling. On top of that is a blue transparent layer. On top of that in the bottom left corner, there is blue text on a yellow background that reads "How to Stay Emotionally Safe During the Holidays (From A Social Worker). The Noble Schools logo is in the bottom right corner.How to Stay Emotionally Safe During the Holidays (From the Noble Street Social Work Team)

Ensuring Positive and Equitable School Experiences for Noble Students Across Chicago

Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter!

Go to Top