College athletics are no joke. It takes a lot for a full-time college student to balance school, friends and sports. This week, we caught up with a junior who can balance it all. Sitting down with Florida State University (FSU) flag football team captain Sara O’Brien, we talk all things FSU, school and flag football.
Her Campus (HC): What is your name, major and where are you from?
Sara O’Brien (SO): My name is Sara O’Brien. I’m a junior at Florida State and I’m originally from Tampa, Florida.
HC: How long have you been playing flag football?
SO: I’ve been playing flag football since my freshman year of high school.
HC: Why did you start playing flag football?
SO: Basketball had always been my main sport and had taken up so much of my time during high school. When basketball season ended my freshman year, I didn’t really know what to do with myself and thought about trying out for flag football. I made up my mind to try out the night before and had no prior experience. I somehow made the varsity team and I ended up sticking with it!
HC: How was your experience getting to travel with the FSU team for away games and tournaments?
SO: We didn’t get to travel last year because of COVID, but my freshman year we got to travel to the University of Florida (UF) for the “Swamp Bowl.” It was such an amazing experience, and I felt like our team really bonded. I’m really excited to travel to UF and UCF (University of Central Florida) again this year with all of my teammates!
HC: What is your favorite memory with FSU flag?
SO: The car ride to UF was so much fun! I was able to get closer with some girls I hadn’t gotten to talk too much and listen to some good music. We also stopped at the Busy Bee gas station as a team, which was the first time I’ve been.
HC: What is it like being the vice president of a team?
SO: It’s really great but also a lot of hard work. As VP, I organize drills for practices, handle tryouts, take Canvas courses and exams and oversee day-to-day operations for the club alongside the rest of our wonderful officers. It’s amazing to work with the rest of my teammates and make our club the best it can be. Our president has truly done an amazing job with the team this year and I’m so happy to work alongside her.
HC: How did tryouts go this year?
SO: Tryouts this year took me by surprise; in the past, we’ve had at most 20 girls show up, and this year there were over 50! It was a bit overwhelming because there are only five officers to lead all these people in drills. The cutting process was even harder because we had so many amazing people try out, and if we could keep them all we would! We currently have about 20 new members and I couldn’t be more excited to play with them this year!
HC: What is your favorite part of being on the FSU flag team?
SO: My favorite part about being on the Women’s Club Flag Football team is being a part of a team atmosphere again. Growing up, I played so many sports with different teams and I definitely missed that feeling when going to college. I love being a leader and motivating others, and flag is the perfect place for that.
HC: What are your goals for the upcoming year?
SO: I am very competitive so I would love for our team to win one of our tournaments. My freshman year we came in second at UF’s Swamp Bowl, so this year I’d love to go all the way. I also would love to see our club grow even more and get more recognition at FSU.
HC: How can we stay updated on FSU flag? Any tournaments or games nearby we can watch?
SO: You can find our club on Nole Central or follow us on Instagram @FSUFlag. We also have an upcoming tournament at UF on Oct. 16-17 and one at UCF on Nov. 13-14. We are hoping to host a local tournament, so stay posted on our socials!
Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube and Pinterest!