Coaches and players from GALA's flag football team received $2,500 in sports equipment from the Los Angeles Rams. (Photo provided by Edwin Folben)
Girls Academic Leadership Academy's flag football team, the GALA Goddess, received a $2,500 donation from the Los Angeles Rams on March 19 to cheers from hundreds of students in the school's gymnasium.
GALA is an all-girls school located on the Los Angeles High School campus that offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The school is known for its academic excellence and offers a wide range of extracurricular activities such as sports.
The flag football team started last year and had a 10-5 record in its first year. The Rams praised the team and players for his academic success as well as his accomplishments on the field. As part of the Rams' Academic Challenge, players were recognized as those with the highest grade point averages among all schools that applied. He has a 4.0 GPA, one of 8 of the 15 players on the flag football team.
“I love it. It was a really great experience,” said junior Aliza Gibson, one of the team's players with a 4.0 GPA. “The team is so welcoming. This is a new sport, so we're all trying something new together. It's a really fun experience to be able to do that. And Coach Jason [Olazabal] It was also great. ”
Olazabal said the $2,500 will go toward sports equipment. He also added that he is proud of the players who made the playoffs in 2023.
“They challenge themselves on the field and maintain excellence off the field, but it's also a very new sport,” Olazabal added. “Football is opening up to a whole new group of students and players.”
GALA Vice Principal Jason Benoit said, “I could not be more proud of our students' accomplishments on and off the field.” “They truly embody GALA’s motto of excellence, leadership, health and honor.”
Representatives from the Rams' administrative staff presented the $2,500 award and celebrated with the students. Rams Director of Social Justice and Football Development Jonathan Franklin encouraged GALA players to pursue excellence on the field and in the classroom.
“This team competed against 10 other local schools for the highest GPAs, and what they were able to do was incredible,” Franklin said. “Just when you think about the overall balance of time between academics and sports, it’s really incredible.”
Rams Consumer Insights Analyst Rosa Garza also spoke to the students and encouraged them to pursue careers in STEM fields. She does social media analysis for her team and credits her success to having a degree in computer science.
“Growing up, I never knew I could actually do something like that. I can use my math and science background in the workplace,” Garza told the students. “What you're doing now, building team discipline and teamwork, is great. There's a huge opportunity here.”
As part of the Rams Academic Challenge, the team also recognized George Washington Preparatory High School, 10860 S. Denker Ave. in South Los Angeles, for having the highest GPA improvement among flag football players. The Rams launched his Academic Challenge in 2017, and he donated more than $33,000 to varsity school football programs across Los Angeles.
