ASHWAUBENON, Wis. (NBC 26) — While NFL franchises were picking some of the best players in the world, one Northeast Wisconsin high school was selecting 8th graders like Brynn Slawik to its football team.
"I was first pick and not expecting that, especially being the only girl in the auditorium playing football," Slawik said.
A draft was held on Thursday night for Parkview Middle Schoolers planning to play at Ashwaubenon High School when they arrive next year.
"I mean I've read about it and dreamed about it," Slawik said.
"The idea of an 8th grade draft was somebody elses," Head Coach Brian Ryczkowski said. "So when we found out about it, we put our own spin on it. We were gonna try and do it in the spring."
Random names were drawn out of a basket and every student got drafted.
"We're trying to recruit the middle school right now and make playing football in Ashwaubenon the thing to do," Ryczkowski said. "This used to be a football school and we're trying to turn it back into one again."
As soon as they were picked, incoming players signed letters of intent to play football at Ashwaubenon.
"You can kind of feel a buzz, kind of a fun thing to do in April," Ryczkowski said. "You try to find ways for the guys to get together besides practice."
Right after they snapped a picture with the head coach, some players were already thinking about their first high school season.
"My goal is to not only for myself to score and the team to be good, but for other girls to want to try out to be in football and not just the guys," Slawik said.
