AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — Flag football is a growing sport that's now reaching places and players you'd never guess it would.
"First year in high school, first year in America and first year on the team," Senior Foreign Exchange Student Fanny Murman said.
Murman is a foreign exchange student fron Sweden here for just one academic year and says playing sports in America is a dream come true.
"Me coming to America was mostly for the sports and being a part of a team like this means a lot," Murman said.
The timing is just right. Not only is this a first for Murman, it's a first for several girl'sacross Western New York as flag football is only in it's second season of competitive high school play.
"It's really a great thing and it's just continuing to grow," Head Flag Football Coach Chris Monaco said. "I mean from last year there were I think 12 teams and this year we have almost 30. I know we're up almost 130 or 140 teams across the state. So, it's really gone crazy in the last two years. So, it's gong to continue to grow."
It's easy to see why. The match-ups are intense, the girls love it, the fans love it and Fanny's host mom Michele Sutton loves it too.
"To be able to do something that she couldn't ever do at home has been fun to see the growth," Fanny's Host-mom Michele Sutton said. "And the growth in all these girls in such a short time has been amazing but especially her. It's so different here. Sports are not apart of school culture in Sweden or most European countries the way they are here."
Sutton said it's great to see flag football take off in such a short amount of time and hopes all girl's and women's sports will continue this trend across the board.
"I'm raising three girls in this world so I would like to see them getting more acknowledgment for how hard they work and what women are able to do in any sport that they might want to get involved in," Sutton said.
And if it's competitive play you want, these girls say to look no further. They said they've got all the same grit and skill as anyone else.
Win or lose, Murman said this team and experience is something she'll never forget.
"Just seeing them everyday, going to practice, seeing their smiles everyday, talking to them, just being around them," Murman said. "I'm going to miss them a lot."
