Touchdowns and tiaras! Talented 13-year-old becomes the first female football player at her Alabama middle school – as well as being named its first African-American homecoming queen
- Ta’Mya Bulger recently won homecoming queen during a halftime ceremony for a football game she was playing in at Clanton Middle School in Alabama
- The 13-year-old has been playing the sport for years, but her mom only recently let her join the school team
- Ta’Mya said she doesn’t mind being the only girl, and she’s not treated any differently
A 13-year-old girl has made history at her middle school twice already this year, first by being voted the first African American homecoming queen, then by joining the football team as the first-ever female player.
Ta’Mya Bulger, 13, is the definition of living without labels and boundaries — something her classmates at Clanton Middle School in Alabama have definitely noticed.
During a recent football game, the eighth grader was crowned homecoming queen while wearing a pink dress and heels during the halftime ceremony before quickly changing back onto her football gear to join her CMS Tigers teammates on the field.
Impressive! Ta’Mya Bulger, 13, became her middle school’s first female football player — and was also named homecoming queen
Double duty: She recently won the popularity contest at Clanton Middle School in Alabama during halftime for a football game she was playing in
Ta’Mya is an enthusiastic athlete, and also plays girls basketball, soccer, and track.
She became interested in football when her little brother started to play, and joined a team back in fifth grade.
But her mother, Tamera Hinton, told Yahoo that she didn’t let her try out for the school team until seventh grade, worried about her playing with boys her age.
She finally gave her the OK, and this fall, Ta’Mya joined the football team as a wide receiver and defensive back, making her the first ever girl to play.
‘I loved it,’ her coach, Thomas Hughes, told CBS42. ‘I told her when she asked me if she could play — absolutely, I told her [I’d] loved to have her come out and see what she had.’
Head-to-head: She’s been playing football for years, but her mom only recently let her join the school team and play with her male classmates
One of the guys: Ta’Mya said she doesn’t mind being the only girl, and she’s not treated any differently (pictured with her teammates)
What a dream! Her mom is very proud of Ta’Mya, who is pictured with a teammate
Ta’Mya said she doesn’t mind being the only girl, and she’s not treated any differently.
‘You won’t know that you’re the only girl on the team. It’s like being at school with a bunch of boys,’ she said.
In fact, she seems to be quite popular among her classmates, since she won the homecoming queen title this fall.
Her mother is thrilled with how she juggles her various interests.
‘As a mom, it was incredible,’ she told Yahoo Lifestyle. ‘She’s humble, she’s not the most ‘status quo’ popular girl, but she’s kind, she’s on the honor roll, and she’s probably the most athletic in the school. It was nice that she got this recognition.’
Ta’Mya added that she hopes to keep playing football through high school, but her main focus is soccer, which she’d like to play in college.