Written by Amanda LaRiviere |

Anyone who has taken AP Government and Politics with history teacher Christopher Zawadski is familiar with Title IX which states,  “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”  How does this apply to The Morgan School, though?

Sadie Douglas, number 16 on the field, is the first female football player Morgan has ever had. She started playing football last year when she lived in Meriden. She was influenced by her brothers. Some of Sadie’s positions on the team include wide receiver and running back.  When asked about her experience with the Morgan football team, Sadie commented, “They all treat me the same…We have a really good team so far.” She is also looking forward to playing basketball this winter.

Her teammates speak very highly of Sadie, but treat her no differently than any other player on the field. Senior #77 Dashaun James commented, “She’s just a part of the team. She’s a good player, [and] she works hard.”  Senior #64 Matt Capece said that Sadie fits right in, “Sadie is pretty much just like one of us…The only noticeable difference is that she has a different locker room than us. She plays her hardest every day.”

Senior #22 John Veneri stated, “It’s unique. Not every football team has a female football player.” John recognized how much courage it must have taken to join the team and said, “She treats us with respect, and we treat her with respect too.”

Sadie’s advice to other athletes who want to join a team that their school might not offer for them is simple: “Do whatever your heart desires. Never stop because people tell you- ‘you can’t do it.’ ”

The next Morgan football game is this Friday, September 23rd, at home against Valley Regional!