“Anything you can do, I can do better” are the words Kaitlyn Roberts lives by.

Roberts, 14, is a Dartmouth High School freshman who’s been making waves this season as the football team’s only female player.

“I like contact,” said Roberts, a linebacker for the freshman team. “I’ve always liked a challenge.”

There was no definitive moment where Roberts decided she just had to play football. With only a casual interest in watching NFL games, Roberts was driven by her athleticism and mile-wide competitive streak.

“Before I played football, my dad would take me to the gym and then I always thought it was fun to lift more than the guys that were my age. Then I just got stronger,” Roberts said. “I wanted to play a sport, but I didn’t know what to play so then I was like ‘I like lifting weights, and I like a challenge, so I should just try and play football.”

Before going into high school, Roberts joined a Pop Warner youth football team. From there, it felt natural for her to pursue the sport in high school.

She’s known many of her teammates for a long time and the’ve been having lots of fun together as a team.

“I was friends with them before I joined football,” Roberts said. “They’re really supportive, they’re my friends.”

The only real difference between her and the boys is the locker room situation.

“I get ready in the locker room by myself,” Roberts said, laughing.

Before joining the high school team, she was teased for “being stronger than some of the guys,” she said.

However, Roberts views that as something to be proud of.

“I was never insulted by it. I always thought of it as a good thing,” said Roberts. “When someone challenges me, I’m like ‘Yeah, let’s go.’ I have to win.”

“She’s one of the toughest people on the team,” said Coach Peter Crane. “[She] goes in every play... not afraid of contact. I’m glad she’s on the team.”

Roberts is the first female Crane has ever coached on the football team.

“Doesn’t matter; boy, girl, if they wanna try it, try it... She’s a tough kid,” Crane said.

Roberts was proud to report there hasn’t been a game she hasn’t played in. She was even a starting player for the first part of the season. Lately, she’s been playing second string linebacker, but she's typically in for at least a half.

Roberts is determined to climb the ranks and continue playing football throughout her high school career. Since she’s still a freshman, it’s a bit early to to be thinking about pursuing it in college and is waiting to see how high school football will continue to play out for her.

However, Roberts is focused on the here and now. Though she’s been invited to join the throwing team, Roberts is focused on training in the off-season to try out for the JV team.

Though she hasn’t actively encouraged any other girls towards joining football, there are some girls on the Pop Warner youth teams. Roberts sometimes returns there to help the coaches who always push her to chat with the girls about playing football in high school.

As a student athlete, sometimes excelling on the field while still maintaining good grades in school can prove to be a challenge. But if there’s anything Roberts won’t back down from, it’s a challenge.