Oasis HS football player: ‘If you play like a girl, you play like a beast’

Hearing, “you play like a girl” isn’t an insult to a particular football player at Oasis High School in Cape Coral – It’s a badge of honor.

This player says, “If you play like a girl, you play like a beast.”

That’s from Emma Osinski, and she just finished her first season playing offensive and defensive line.

When she joined the Sharks, she was determined to prove she belonged. She said, “If I was going to do it I was gonna do it just as good as anybody else in the field.”

Oasis head coach Jeff Love said, “She has done nothing but work and that’s why she’s gained the respect of, obviously me, but the rest of the coaches and the rest of the team at school. She just goes to work.”

Emma’s mom, Sharon Osinski, knew her daughter was destined for athletics.

She said, “She was probably two or three years old and she basically saw a football jersey in the store and wanted it and wouldn’t leave the store – with a temper tantrum – until I bought it for her.”

Emma’s dream is to have her name on the back of a college football jersey, and she saw Vanderbilt’s Sarah Fuller accomplish just that while becoming the first woman to play major college football.

Emma hopes she can be the next. “This is an opportunity that there is a chance you know. That there are coaches in college-level that can look at me and say she can play just as well as anyone else in the field and that gives me hope.”

And inspire more girls to take the field.

“I hope I give them a boost of confidence that they can do it,” Emma explained. “That there’s no limit. That they should have the confidence to step out on this field.”
And play like a football player.

She said running out of the tunnel for her first football game was one of the best moments in her life.

While she awaits the start of football season, she is currently playing for the Oasis High School girls basketball team.