Palmetto Senior High's Isabella Sosa taking flag football by storm
MIAMI - Isabella Sosa is taking the high school flag football scene by storm and she's doing it right here in South Florida.
CBS News Miami's Samantha Rivera tells the story of why the Palmetto Senior High athlete has so many eyes on her already.
"She's like a firecracker."
Meet Isabella Sosa, a senior at Palmetto High and a South Florida native who's quickly gained national attention for her skills as a flag football star. It was Sosa's sophomore year of high school when she began playing for her school's team, realizing her love for flag football was much bigger than any other sport.
"In the beginning, you can tell that she was just so-so she was just that person that was athletic. And then as we started playing more and more together, you can tell that it started piecing together and that the game became more than a game to her, it became her life."
Sosa's hard work is clearly paying off. She'll join 19 other handpicked athletes around the country to play in the inaugural US Army all-American flag football bowl game later this month.
"My mom actually told me she sent me a screenshot of like the text from the coach. And I was like, Mom, just like don't even give him my information. Like you don't know what that is like, be careful. And then we just kept looking into and she was like, you need to do this, like this is not an opportunity that we could just pass up on."
"I was just so proud of her because she's put in the work for the past three years that I've known her, whether it's with her high school or her travel program. And then outside of that she's always just looking for more work."
Not only will Sosa represent Latinas in the game, but she will also play as the only girl from South Florida.
"I'm excited to just show out for everybody and show everybody that girls can do it. And I've always said Miami athletes are completely built different, like just the way we were raised and stuff like that. So I think that's really going to show."
And yes, Sosa grew up as a Dolphins fan, taking notes from her favorite player Tyreek Hill.
"He's just a go and he's fast like me, he shows that little people like we can really do something, it doesn't matter how small we are."
As the game continues to grow for girls, so do the opportunities. So set plans to attend Ottawa University where she'll join the three-time national champion flag football team on a scholarship.
"I remember the coach reaching out to me and like it was a moment for me and my parents and we were like, oh my god, like this is happening. I never thought that I would be getting my school paid for because I'm a football player and I'm a female football player."
The goals and dreams don't stop there either. Sosa hopes to make the 2024 Olympic flag football team next.
"It's right when I graduate. So in my eyes, it's God's timing everything working out when it's supposed to so that's my plan after college."
