Texas Wesleyan University is starting a women’s flag football team and Isabel Ibarra, a senior at North Side High School in Fort Worth, is its first signee.
“It’s a big deal to be honest, but I know girls can do anything. They can do anything they put their mind to,” Ibarra said.
Ibarra’s love for football began at an early age.
“I was eight years old,” Ibarra said. “I started playing tackle football.”
She said the physical aspect and strategies required in football quickly made her passionate about the game.
“I started to play with my cousins,” Ibarra said. “Once I started playing with my cousins, they just taught me how to be aggressive. And ever since then, I just loved it.”
As she got older, she became more cautious.
“I stopped for like a couple years because my mom didn’t want me playing against those big boys. Cause you know, as they got older, they got aggressive,” Ibarra said.
It wouldn’t be until high school that Ibarra was able to play the sport she loved.
“I hear about flag football,” Ibarra said. “I tried out for the sport. And once I tried it out, that’s when I found out I started loving flag football.”
She made the team and plays quarterback.
“I try to stay confident because I know once you’re a quarterback, all that pressure comes to you,” she said.
When asked what sets her apart from other athletes on the field, she said it’s her strength.
“I have an arm,” she said. “(I can throw) like 30 or 40 yards.”
Her coach, Irwin Garcia, said he quickly learned there was something special in her.
“I think it was at the end of her sophomore year. She was a district MVP that year. She racked up about, I think, 40 touchdowns and just racked up the yardage that year,” Garcia said. “And I think we knew that we had something special on our hands.”
However, he said it’s her character that he admires most about Ibarra.
“She’s a natural leader. She’s the player who picks up the ball bag at the end of practice. She’s the player that grabs the water bottles off the bus to make sure that we have them on the sideline. That’s who she is,” Garcia said.
Those characteristics earned her the attention of Texas Wesleyan University. Ibarra signed with the university in the spring.
“I didn’t expect for them to have an actual sport for flag football. I was actually pretty excited when I heard about it, and it motivated me to keep pushing,” Ibarra said.
She also earned an academic scholarship to help her pursue her dream of serving others.
“I want to do something that involves nursing, because I love helping people,” Ibarra said.
And while she walked the stage to receive her high school diploma Friday, Ibarra said she is focused on staying conditioned leading up to her first collegiate practice.
“I want to keep working during the summer,” Ibarra said. “To keep myself in shape, staying positive, working out constantly, showing them that I can really do it for college level.”
The Fort Worth native will help lead the team as they prepare for their inaugural season in spring 2026.
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