NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Neveah Spillman loves sports. Her current position at Maple Park Middle School isn’t typical of girls her age – Neveah is the football team’s starting quarterback.
“I was nervous in the beginning because I had never played for a school. I’ve always played in leagues,” the 13-year-old told WDAF.
Neveah’s talent overtook her nerves when she joined Maple Park’s football team.
“She does have a good arm,” said Daivion Allen, Neveah’s teammate.
She’s played football since she was 4 years old. Now 13, Naveah is a leader and the only girl on the field.
“You have to take charge because you run the offense. You have to tell people their positions, what they need to work on to get better,” Neveah said.
Nevaeh’s response from her classmates and teammates is positive.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are a girl or boy quarterback. It matters what you do on the field,” Daivion said. “Nevaeh can do a lot on the field.”
Neveah hopes she can pave the way for other girls who want to play football.
“Most girls don’t get recognized for playing this kind of sport, so when you hear people talking about you, it makes you feel good,” she said.
Neveah said sometimes players on the other teams are surprised to see her reveal the bouncy curls under her helmet.
“I’ll take my helmet off afterwards to shake hands, and it’s, ‘Oh, that’s a girl. Their quarterback is a girl,'” Neveah said. “They are shocked, but I think they think it’s pretty cool a girl plays football.”
