It's the first time the Kern High School District has hosted this type of event. High school girls had the chance to hear more from an NFL football coach who happens to be a woman.
Barriers are meant to be broken, especially in the work world. That was the message today for high schools all across Kern County. The first female NFL coach Dr. Jen Welter spoke about how she went from playing men's football to coaching it. “In football there’s this lovely thing called a lead blocker and the lead blocker isn’t always the one that scores the touchdowns but it’s the one who opens the door for somebody else to go through,” said Dr. Jen Welter, the first female NFL coach.
And Dr. Welter says this was exactly what she did being the first female in a male dominated position. And the girls took what Dr. Welter was saying to heart. “I feel like no girl should feel like only a man can do that job. Anyone should be able to do it," said Britney Duran, a senior at Bakersfield High School. The girls also considered tht maybe being a female is what would make them better candidates for a job. “It’s easy to get caught up in what things could potentially stop us as opposed to looking to the things that can actually be our advantage," said Welter. “No one can limit what you do, it’s how you can be yourself," said Duran.
All the girls there received a signed copy of Dr. Welter's book "Play Big" and a t-shirt with an inspirational saying from Welter. 23ABC's Jessica Harringotn was the emcee of the event. She and Dr. Jen even took a picture with the girls.
