Female student at Colorado's Valor Christian High School has big football coaching dreams
A student at Valor Christian High School is making waves in the world of Colorado high school football.
16-year-old Mary Bills is not only excelling in the classroom, but she's also helping manage the Eagles football team.
The Valor Christian High School Eagles are having a great season, and part of their success this season has somewhat to do with an ambitious team manager, with a zest for life.
If you ever watch the Eagles closely, you'll notice Bills.
The stellar team manager is on the sidelines during games and practice offering the team and coaches an unyielding amount of support.
"I edit all the film, I know all the plays, all the downs, all the distances," said Bills.
The athletes and the field are all Bills looks forward to. She has found her calling.
"I've loved football my whole life. I've done a lot with football, like I've watched it since I was a kid. I do a lot of fantasy football. It's just my thing," said Bills.
Bills knows what she wants to do for the rest of her life, and that is become a college football coach.
Therefore, she's not afraid to ask for an opportunity to practice those skills and call plays herself.
A Valor football coach and former Mines athlete, Ty Young recalls a time that Bills asked for an opportunity to call a play and it worked in her favor.
"In our Bronco seven-on-seven tournament against Denver East we were in a situation where we needed to get a good pass play, and she recommended a nice deep out, and we called it and hit it and went and scored actually, and it was just, it was awesome," said Young.
Bills was beyond excited.
"That was my first play call, and we scored on it," said Bills, "And I was like there's only going to be more from here. It's not like, that's going to be my only ever one."
Her confidence is unmatched, mostly because she's always prepared.
"There's nothing for me to lose ... It's not like I can do anything worse than what I'm doing now. I can only go up from here," said Bills.
When she's not calling plays or editing film, she is hosting sports podcast, "Bursting the Bubble."
"It's 'Bursting the Bubble' because I'm kind of, like, breaking way for women in sports, because, I mean, women in sports is growing right now, but I hope I am kicking that door a little bit more for the next generation," said Bills.
Bills is in her junior year and hopes to find her way onto a college campus and eventually become a coach.