SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Caitlyn Soroka is just like everyone else wearing a Brookwood High School uniform -- except that she’s the only girl out there.
“They really don’t factor in that I’m a girl. They really just treat me like one of their teammates as they would anyone else,” Soroka said.
Brookwood Head Coach Phillip Jones said they've been so thankful to have her.
"The guys love her, there’s been a few instances here and there where there has been some teams trying to take cheap shots on her and stuff. The boys don’t have any of that,” Jones said.
“I’ve noticed that a lot of coaches on other teammateswill say, ‘Oh! That’s a female!’” laughed Soroka.
Raised a soccer player, she already had a passion for sports. During her 8th grade year she was inspired to start trying football as well. It was when she saw Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller make history as the first female athlete to score points in a D1 football game.
“When Sarah Fuller started kicking, I thought that was super cool. A lot of people told me I should try that because I had been playing soccer. We had a day at the high school where we could go in and meet all of the sports team coaches. I went up to the football coach and asked him if I could play,” Soroka said.
Her now head coach, Jones, remembers that moment well.
“I could just tell she was super serious,” Jones said.
Soroka kicks extra points and sometimes field goals for the Broncos in just her second year as a sophomore.
“My longest field goal so far has been in a practice. It was 45 yards. I’m hoping to add on by the summer hopefully another five yards to that,” Soroka said.
That first time she ever kicked in a game, she remembers that moment perfectly.
“I was a little nervous but I knew just to fall back on my mechanics. After that was honestly when I was more jittery than before because I realized that that was my very first point,” Soroka said.
As the Broncos get ready for their first playoff game on Saturday and she continues sharpening her craft, she wants all of the younger aspiring female football players to know one thing.
“Honestly, just don’t let anything stop you. Don’t let people bring you down and just do what you know how to do and that’s going to help you get you further than anything else in life,” Soroka said.
Brookwood’s first round playoff game is Saturday against Harrison.