Jenna Brodkin
Sports Editor
Junior Sophie Guitron got selected to join the 2024 U.S 17u Girls Flag Football National Team alongside 17 other talented athletes. Guitron was a part of the history-making Costa team as it was the first year girls flag was an official CIF sport at Costa and she also plays for the Conquer Chargers club team.
“My teammates on the Conquer Chargers have allowed me to develop and improve in so many ways,” Guitron said. “The entire program is filled with great Coaches and talented players.”
According to Guitron she started liking football when she was in 5th and 6th grade and used to play all the time at lunch. Guitron never played flag football until she was in 8th grade for a co-ed league called BCS where she also played with the boys team.
“The challenges I face as an athlete, whether it be mentally or physically, will always be there but to be great I think my desire and passion to keep getting better and better outweighs everything,” Guitron said. “The higher level of competition can sometimes be intimidating so I just have to keep my mind sharp so my body follows.”
Team USA is a flag football team with the top 18 female athletes under 17 years old, who come from all parts of the United States. According to Guitron, as the defending champions, Team USA will compete in intense competitions like the International Cup in Los Angeles in July.
“At the International Cup we will compete against strong elite players from all other countries,” Guitron said. “I am simply a small part of this larger picture in terms of who Team USA is and who we play for, but I’m honored to be a part of it.”
Guitron’s club team, the Conquer Chargers, has received a lot of support from the national football league organization, the Los Angeles Chargers. According to Guitron, the Chargers gave her team a tour around the facility, watched their film from the previous game in the Chargers film room, and got to interact with new Head Coach Jim Harbruagh.
“The LA Chargers have been such a supportive organization from the beginning as they helped me start the flag football team at Costa,” Guitron said. “My friend and I were honored by the Chargers for making the U.S 17u National Team and were given a custom Chargers jersey with our names on it.”
Guitron was a key factor in starting up the Girls Flag team. According to Guitron, it was important that Costa participated in the slow integration of girls flag football.
“My hope is to inspire younger girls who feel like this sport isn’t big enough for them to pursue. I want them to know that this sport has so many growing opportunities, even though you may have to move a little outside your comfort zone to achieve big goals,” Guitron said. “I hope to show other people that nothing is impossible even if you may think that you are unqualified or you fall short, I simply followed my passion and never stopped.”
According to Guitron she is extremely thankful for her support system being her family and she strives to make them proud whether that be in flag football or life in general.
“My biggest inspirations are my parents and grandma,” Guitron said. “They all have struggled in their own ways growing up, but they have shown me what true resilience is. They have all made their own unique sacrifices for me and my future, so I try to show my appreciation and give them the recognition they deserve.”
According to Guitron, she has many goals for Team USA and Costa. Guitron wants to hopefully win the International Cup in July with all of her Team USA teammates. According to Guitron, as for Costa she wants to pour into them everything she has learned over the past year and help them all grow, and especially beat Redondo this year.
“This would simply not be possible without God and the support from my friends and family,” Guitron said. “God knows the adversity I pushed through to be able to reach this milestone and he’s kept me up every day.”
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