February 2, 2008 -
Hey Spitfire, did you know that one of
your teammates is studying to be an archaeologist? Wow! How cool
is that? Katie’s career has been rather colorful already. She
studied at the University of Delaware and has written and presented
a paper titled “From the Caribbean to Curiosity Cabinets: Coral at
the Read House.” She spent time in Barbados excavating a site and is
now playing the waiting game with Indiana University while they
examine her application to pursue her doctorate in archaeology and
social context. Enough said!
She actually considered being a professional
trombone player at one time when she had the opportunity to travel
to Europe with the Blue Lake International Symphony Band.
Even though Katie is up to her elbows in dirt and
dust on artifacts, her first true love is football. Growing up she
watched and attended many University of Michigan football games with
her mother. Her mother is a big supporter of her decision to try
out for the Spitfire…she told Katie she wasn’t crazy.
Katie shares a feat with teammate Holly – they
both played football in Junior High School. Katie played for the
Saline Hornets when she was in the 8th grade. She played
split tackle on the offensive line. She showed promise on defense,
but they would never let her play there. My favorite statement from
Katie about WHY she was allowed to play in Junior High was she
“threatened to stay in her room forever and never smile again!”
This experience has been like a dream come true
for Katie. She feels welcomed, valued, and is learning more about
football than she ever could have dreamed.
Katie is a very courageous young lady. She
overcomes challenges by remembering all she has accomplished in her
life and continuing to work toward being a better “her” and football
player. She has been working out and building a better “her” since
last January (she has lost 80 pounds to date). She says she has
become addicted to the feeling of accomplishment from pleasantly
sore muscles.
Well, get ready, Katie, the feeling is only going
to intensify as you continue on your courageous life while you play
football with this exciting team.
