Clarke Central High School’s inaugural Georgia High School Association flag football team poses in a photo after their first win on Oct. 18, 2022. Being a part of this team has had a significant impact on the way Visuals Staffer Temprince Battle has learned to dedicate herself to flag and toward other passions they may obtain. “I’ve applied my coach’s lessons to different aspects of my life and this has motivated me to push myself just as hard athletically as I do academically, and I work hard toward any passion that I have,” Battle said. photo by Christopher Aiken
Visuals Staffer Temprince Battle talks about their experience being on the inaugural Georgia High School Association flag football team in the CCSD.
During the Clarke Central High School flag football team’s first season, my coach Cherelle Pass always emphasized that we will put our footprints in flag football history, or as she likes to call it, “Herstory.” She emphasized this to motivate us to give our all to the game.
I was able to learn a lot from being a part of a team. Playing flag football has taught me how to dedicate myself to what I’m passionate about and work to overcome obstacles that get in my way.
There was a lot of pressure for me at the beginning of the first season of flag. Even though everyone was new to the sport, I put a lot of pressure on myself when there were people who I felt were more athletic than me and I became my own biggest obstacle.
For me, this would usually go from self-doubt to quitting, but quitting wasn’t an option. Playing football is something I had wanted to do since I was in middle school, and giving up would feel like I failed myself and my team.
Playing football is something I had wanted to do since I was in middle school, and giving up would feel like I failed myself and my team.
My coach also emphasized dedication. It doesn’t matter who’s better at it, it matters who’s working the hardest to get there. Before flag, dedication did not come easily to me. Coach Pass has inspired me to dedicate myself to flag and give it my all, which has pushed me to apply myself to anything that I am passionate about fully.
Being a part of the inaugural team, there was room for mistakes, but I didn’t let that affect me or my ability to compete. With hard work and dedication, I became the starting right blocker, and I kept that starting position for the rest of the season.
Being a part of this team allowed me to be a part of something bigger than myself while teaching me lessons that I can apply to football and my future careers, and I truly found a family within my flag football team.
