Friday night lights sparkling bright, senior Josie Grunzinger lined up with the field goal. Her foot swung into the ball, sending it spiraling through the air and flying through the goal. Grunzinger had just made her fifth attempt, keeping her kickoff record perfect.

Grunzinger, a three-sport high school athlete, has played sports since the age of three. Most recently, Grunzinger earned a spot on the junior varsity football team as the kicker. 

“Coach [Jeff] Duncan jokingly asked about me [being the] kicker. I told him that I would try it out so he gave me some [materials] to use,” Grunzinger said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, but I told him that I would try it anyway. I [was] decent at it, so I sent [a video] to Duncan and he told me that I could start going to practices.”

Head varsity coach and physical education teacher Jeff Duncan recruited Grunzinger after watching her kick around a football with her father. Duncan often supports his players by investing in their journey as athletes from the beginning. 

“The number one thing [I] do is build quality relationships with [players]. [I am] interested in their school life, their family lives and other relationships they have,” Duncan said. “When they know that you care about them in things other than the sport they’re playing, they’re willing to work to do the things necessary to be successful.”

Because football is male-dominant, Grunzinger’s gender is unique to the sport and the West High team. As one of only three girls in West High’s football history and the only current female on the team, Grunzinger is making significant strides for the sport. Contrary to Grunzinger’s original worries, many of the boys on the team and the football fans were welcoming, and now remain invested in her journey. 

“It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but a lot of the guys were pretty excited about me being on the team, so it calmed my nerves down,” Grunzinger said. 

With Duncan and her teammates’ support, Grunzinger has grown as a versatile athlete and hopes to further her career during the football season.

“My biggest success in football is being able to actually be on the team and compete,” Grunzinger said. “It’s a cool experience, and it seems cool to tell my kids one day. It [will] be fun to be with the team during districts once we get later into the season.”