Indio high school girls breaking barriers on football field
For three seasons it’s been Martin White in charge of the football sidelines at Indio High School and when fall turns to winter he’s leading the Rajahs’ girls basketball program. This season a group of girls made the switch with their head coach.
STORY by CODY KRUPP
Whether it’s a Friday night under those Indio Lights, or the Rajah’s girls basketball team trying to win yet another title. It is Coach Martin White leading the charge and this year his two worlds coming together.
“We spend so much time together in basketball, they knew what to expect, knew what it would be like, knew what would be demanded of them, just a different sport.”
Two of his girls basketball players suiting up on the football team.
“In basketball I am a center, and in football a middle linebacker.”
“Consider them my family, the boys and girls are my brothers and sisters.”
Another three of his players are managers on the sidelines.
“Get a new experience to see what it is like on the sidelines instead of the stands.”
“Get to see them play, they come to us, we support them and they support us.”
“Good bonding, gets us to know more each other.”
Whether dialing up a play for the point guard, or the quarterback, it is the same passion filled coach in charge.
“Pretty out spoken and aggressive as a personality trait.”
“He yells a little more out here than he does in the gym, but other than that it is pretty much the same. Coaches us the same, expects a lot out of us cause he know what we are capable of so he expects us to bring it.”
“In football I have to admit he is a little tougher, he does scream more.”
You can expect that his two football playing basketball players aren’t going to step down from any challenges this season.
“Toughen them up, give them a physicality that they wouldn’t have gotten any other way.”
Pushing each other on the court, and not just pushing each other on the field, but too the field.
“Been wanting to play football, not being sexist but telling me that I wasn’t going to be able to do it. When I heard that she was able to do it, and she succeeded I was like you know what I am going to do it. I ended up doing it thanks to her and Coach White.”
