Ever since Stephanie Powell was a little girl, she watched her father coach football from the sidelines. But now, her father is watching her play from those sidelines with the Kern County Crusaders.
"I can't explain it. It's ecstatic for me. A couple of times it brought tears to my eyes," said Keith Powell. "How many guys can say that they coach their daughter football at a high-level."
Powell has been playing with the semi-professional tackle football team for two years now in the Women's Football Alliance as a free safety.
Just last month, Stephanie was selected first team to play in the 2018 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Georgia.
"I never imagined, if you would have told me that when I got to this age, when I was 25, I would be representing Kern County for women's football, I would have laughed," said Stephanie.
And even though she plays at a high-level, tackle football team, she still has to prove to people that she is a football player.
"I feel like we have to prove ourselves a little bit more, but once you earn that respect, you can't deny that we can do it as well and just as good," said Stephanie.
The Crusaders season is over, but Stephanie is now following in her dad's footsteps by coaching football, cross country, and basketball at many schools around town.
The Crusaders will be back on the field in February.
