Athlete of the Week: Jillian Mays

Breaking Down Gender Barriers In Athletics

Written By: Jake Bain (He/Him)

Congratulations to our SAU Athlete of the Week, Jillian Mays!

Jillian Mays has been playing sports for as long as she can remember. Jillian grew up playing basketball, soccer, golf, and above all else, she loves to run. She comes from an athletic family; her father played many sports growing up including soccer, baseball, and basketball. Not only is Jillian’s father an athlete, but her younger sister, Ashley, who attends John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, recently won the state championship in basketball during the Winter of 2021.

Sports have always been at the forefront of Jillian’s life, and when she got to Burroughs herself, she could not wait to see what her school had to offer her athletically. During her 8th grade year at John Burroughs while participating in cross country, one of the sports offered to girls at her school, Jillian became interested in a sport that was typically only offered to the boys.

“I remember watching the boys playing and just thinking to myself, ‘that’s so easy’.”

One day while running around the track during P.E. as the boys played football, she joked with her friends how easy football looked. “I remember watching the boys playing and just thinking to myself, ‘that’s so easy,” Jillian recalled.

Jillian admits that she had “very little knowledge” of football at the time, however after seeing a few practices and not understanding what all the hype was about, Jillian and a few of her friends began to seriously consider trying to join the football team. She already loved to run, and thought the sport of football genuinely looked like it could be fun. However after a few days of talking it over, Jillian was the only one of her girlfriends to actually commit to wanting to play.

“Are you actually going to play? You can’t play football. That’s impossible…”

What had originally started as a joke between a few friends quickly became more real once word got around that Jillian may want to join the football team, which had up until that point been made up of 100% boys. As word began to spread, Jillian soon began to receive reservations about her playing football by many people around her such as her friends, faculty and staff at her school, and even her parents questioned whether or not she should play football. “I had people coming up to me saying, “Are you actually going to play? You can’t play football. That’s impossible” Jillian remembered.

It was then that Jillian knew what she had to do. “After receiving a bunch of unsolicited comments from peers, some faculty members, and even my parents, I said to myself, ‘Okay, now I have to do this because everyone is doubting me.’”

“I had one goal, and that was to be on the boy’s football team.”

Jillian heard the doubters all around her who did not think football was a sport for girls, and used their doubt to motivate herself to give football her all. “After that,” Jillian exclaimed, “I was probably the most motivated I have ever been. I had one goal, and that was to be on the boy’s football team.”

After many conversations spent talking with her parents trying to convince them that she really wanted to play football and knew she could do it, Jillian’s parents finally began to come around to the idea of her playing. “My mom said that if I was going to do it, I had to do it, and could not quit halfway through the season.” I agreed,” Jillian said. Her dad needed a little more convincing, however.

“My grandma did not let my dad play football growing up…”

“My grandma did not let my dad play football growing up because she was afraid of him getting hurt. So my dad said there was no way I was going to play football if he was not allowed,” Jillian explained. However, after many long hours of talking with her parents and reassuring them that she wanted to play, her parents finally gave in and even ended up having to meet with Jillian’s grade principal at John Burroughs to let them know the school had her parent’s consent for Jillian to play.

No matter how many obstacles Jillian faced throughout her pursuit to play football, they only made her more motivated. “Somehow I found a way onto the team, I got my jersey, and I went to practice” Jillian recalled.

“I did notice as time went on, I started to become more a part of the team.”

After joining the football team, it took Jillian a while to feel like she really fit in with the rest of her teammates and the new environment she was in. Little by little, throughout the season she got more comfortable until by the end of the season, Jillian felt like she began to really bond with her teammates and had their true support.

“At first, I did not join in on the camaraderie that football is usually associated with,” Jillian said. “However I did notice as time went on, I started to become more a part of the team.” Jillian describes how her teammates even began including her in things like hitting each other’s helmets together as a way to congratulate each other, which she admits took a while to get used to. “I didn’t know what it meant at first so I pushed one of my teammates away when he first hit my helmet,” she laughs. “But he quickly told me that it was a sign of endearment.” It was times like these where Jillian had her guard up because she was the only girl on the team. Over time though, she believes her teammates came to realize that she was just like the rest of them and a part of the team.

“There was a boy on the other team who knew I was a girl, and was targeting me because of it.”

“Our last game of the season, I had a lot of playing time,” Jillian remembered. “There was a boy on the other team who knew I was a girl, and was targeting me because of it,” she said. What happened next shocked even Jillian.

“I was so surprised because my teammates were helping me, defending me, and supporting me on the sidelines,” Jillian stated. She recalls that, “It really made me feel warm inside because I could see that they actually cared about me and saw me as a team member.” It was clear that Jillian faced many challenges and obstacles because of her gender. Being the first one to do anything is never easy. This made me wonder if her gender had helped her in football at all.

“I totally could not have done it if I did not receive the amount of support I did.”

“I received a lot of support,” Jillian said. “The amount of support I received just for being out there… I totally could not have done it if I did not receive the amount of support I did,” she explained. “From my classmates, teachers, faculty, to even people outside of the community. I did not know [my story] had reached so far. My family members, everyone I really knew and many who I didn't know were supporting me and happy for me, and were happy to see a girl out on the field.” Jillian recalled a conversation she had with a family friend before she began officially playing football who told Jillian that, “I wasn’t only representing myself. I was representing the entire gender while I was out there,” her family friend reminded her. Quite the daunting task for a freshman in high school.

Even with all of this pressure however, Jillian stated that, “The support I received as a whole just by being present and being a part of the team was totally worth it.” Though she may have only been in her first year of high school, Jillian Mays already had more strength, courage, and determination than most people dream of having one day. With what felt like the weight of an entire gender of people of whom she represented, Jillian showed everyone in her community and beyond that her gender, nor anyone else’s, did not have to hold herself or anyone else back from doing whatever they set their minds to.

“Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back.”

When asked what message she had for other girls and women who may see her story and be inspired to try the sport of football, Jillian responded emphatically with, “Just do it.” She continued by exclaiming that, “If you even have an interest, just do it. [Football] is a very interesting sport, and I would say just do it. Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back. You might have your own reservations. Other people might have their own reservations. It does not matter. If you want to play, just play; simple as that,” Jillian said.

Her passion for seeing other girls and women in the sport of football was clear, so I wanted to know what her thoughts were about creating more opportunities for other girls and women in the sport. “I think it could take on many different kinds of ways. I think there could be female teams that would look similar to men's teams and were approached the same way with nothing being different other than women playing against other women,” Jillian explained. “But I also see nothing wrong with having co-ed teams. Across the country, there are so many girls already on men’s teams,” Jillian explained to me. “I saw a girl playing linebacker the other day,” she said. “There are so many kickers. So many cornerbacks like I played, wide receivers like I played. It could take on any form, but I do think that a lot more girls should play football,” said Jillian.

“It definitely changed me, and it definitely made me look at life differently.”

Now attending Spelman College, an HBCU for women, as a member of the class of 2025, Jillian continues to use the lessons she learned from football throughout her life to this day. “I have to give it to football,” Jillian said, “It definitely changed me, and it definitely made me look at life differently. It made me realize that if you want something you have to take it. No one is going to hold your hand. So if you want it, you have to take the bull by the horns and get to it.” “Academically,” Jillian said, “I would say that [football] has helped me a lot. I’ve been a lot more ambitious and I have become more of a go-getter and not waiting for opportunities to come to me, rather actively seeking things for myself to do,” she described.

Like most athletes who have ever played football, Jillian has been able to apply many of the skills she learned while on the gridiron to her life today. “I actually just played in a college powder puff game not too long ago which was super fun,” Jillian told me as she mentioned how she was still active in the sport.

“Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, because you never know what could happen.”

After getting the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with Jillian about her experiences as a woman in the sport of football, I am reminded how powerful true support can be. There will always be things that separate us from one another and make us our own, unique selves, and that is perfectly okay. There are also just as likely to be so many things that bring us all together, and if we all focus as much of our attention on what makes us similar as we do on what separates us from each other, we may realize that things like gender do not have to keep us apart after all.

Jillian Mays is a perfect example of this and continues to embody the values and ideals of who we are at Sports Are Universal. She left us with this message: “Do not be afraid to try anything new that you have not embarked on before. Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone, because you never know what could happen.”

We could not be more proud to feature Jillian Mays as this week's Sports Are Universal: Athlete of the Week, and cannot wait to see what Jillian has in store for us all next!