She was a middle school soccer star in May. Now, she’s kicking for Callaway.
HOGANSVILLE — Hours before she kicked her first varsity extra point, Mia Flores’ stepmother called her bluff.
Callaway’s freshman kicker had played several junior varsity games, but Flores hadn’t taken the field Friday night yet. Perhaps she knew that was about to change when she texted her father, Bernardo Flores, on the morning of Sept. 18.
“(Bernardo) told me that she didn’t want to go, not because she was making excuses, but because her legs hurt or something like that,” her stepmother, Yolanda Castillo, recalled.
Soreness would make sense, considering Mia Flores isn’t only a kicker. She also practices with her club soccer team three times per week and plays tournaments on the weekends.
But Castillo knew Flores was tougher than leg pain. The hardest part of her football journey — becoming Callaway’s first female player — was already behind her.
“I texted her, I said, ‘You know you’re capable to do stuff. Don’t sabotage yourself, because that’s what you’re doing,’” Castillo said.
It was sound advice, and Flores proved her right that night. Callaway’s home crowd erupted as the freshman converted her first two varsity extra-point attempts in a 50-0 win over Redan.
“When they called me out there, I didn’t think I was going to make it, I’m not even going to lie,” Flores said. “But, you know, the coach told me to keep my head down and just follow through, and it went up.”
It was a massive milestone for Flores’ football journey, which started only a couple of months ago.
Callaway needed a new kicker after the incumbent starter suffered a season-ending injury, and another freshman girl at the high school knew of the need. That was Callaway coach Pete Wiggins’ daughter, Monroe, a close friend and Flores’ soccer teammate.
Monroe texted Mia during a preseason scrimmage and told her the team needed a new kicker. Flores, who led her middle school soccer team with 47 goals last season, was a natural candidate.
“(Monroe) texted me and was like, ‘What do you think about kicking for the football team? It’s just an idea,’” Flores said. “I was like, ‘I think it would be cool,’ so I just asked my dad.”
Bernardo Flores thought his daughter was joking. Then her middle school soccer coach and mentor, Brooke Jackson, called and invited her to try out in front of Wiggins and several coaches that Sunday afternoon.
Mia Flores wore football pads and a helmet for the first time as she kicked extra points with Jackson shagging balls behind the goalposts.
“You could see her persistence,” Wiggins said. “My daughter played on the middle school soccer team, too. So, I watched (Flores) play, and I knew that the work ethic was there.”
Jackson joined the football staff when Flores joined the team, and one of her duties is still shagging Flores’ extra points.
“I always think that you are supposed to speak life into these young kids because they count themselves out so much these days,” Jackson said. “I was like, ‘Mia, you can do this.’
“She’s an unbelievable soccer player, and so her dedication and just her hard work, I knew that she was going to make it.”
For all the changes high school football made in her life, Flores said learning to play in football gear was one of the more difficult transitions.
“The helmet was heavy, so I had a little neck cramp a couple times, and the pads are hot, and I was not used to the heaviness on me,” Flores said. “I was just kind of uncomfortable at first, but after a couple of times wearing it and running in it, I felt comfortable in it.”
There was adjustment period for Flores’ family, too. Castillo is trying to learn football rules and strategy during games, and the logistical balance of football and club soccer isn’t simple.
But the Flores family’s toughest part of adjusting to football actually came from others. Bernardo recalled the community’s mixed reaction when the team announced Mia’s addition.
“They posted on Facebook, and there was a lot of negativity,” Bernardo said. “Just old-school people, older men, you know. I mean, it took everything in my power not to say anything in public because that’s my daughter.”
Bernardo opted to let Mia’s game do the talking.
Castillo said Mia didn’t take long to change the tone. She said the social media comments around her stepdaughter largely were supportive once she started converting kicks.
“I have seen more positive things now than negative things,” Castillo said. “I saw two or three saying, ‘Hey, your daughter should be doing this,’ or somebody said, ‘Oh, I’m going to ask the school if she can do this.’”
Flores said she never saw that negativity, especially from her team.
“I was kind of surprised at how the boys reacted to me stepping on the field,” Flores said. “Like, none of them acted in a weird way or anything. They all kind of greeted me in a good way and were like, ‘Oh, you’re the kicker.’”
Flores’ parents and coaches all agree she’s more confident as a kicker and a person than she was two months ago.
Flores even sees it in herself. Personally, she says playing football was about getting out of her comfort zone and showing herself the value of trying something new.
But her impact on the community around her might be even bigger.
For all of her individual feats, including another varsity extra point in Callaway’s win over Pike County on Friday, Flores’ favorite experience this season speaks to her comradery with the team. Callaway stopped on the road for a pregame meal early in the season, and one of the simplest moments became a cherished memory.
“We got to sit in Chick-fil-A, and it was just all football players, you know, getting sandwiches, chips,” Flores said. “Since I’m the only girl, I felt like I needed to be there, and I just feel like it was a good, cool moment.”
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
