AMBRIDGE — In hopes of making the game of football more accessible and open to young women, former Women's Football Alliance athlete, longtime coach and motivational speaker Felicia Mycyk is hosting an all-girls football camp Saturday, Sept. 18. 
As more and more women get involved with football across the country from a playing, coaching and scouting standpoint, Mycyk — who has been at the forefront of change when it comes to women in sports in the area and currently serves as an assistant coach for the Ambridge varsity football team — is hoping to make an impact in her own community through the game she loves. 
Mycyk's camp will be the first of its kind for young girls in Beaver County, though she has worked at all-woman's football camps in the past in the greater Pittsburgh area, hosted by former and current members of the Pittsburgh Steelers. 
Though she's familiar with the style of camp she's set to host Saturday in Ambridge, it never donned on her to do her own version targeting young girls until recently. 
"I was handing out backpacks with Darrelle Revis this summer and there was a little time in between the next group coming, and this little girl saw a football and wanted to catch it," Mycyk said, explaining the reasoning behind her all-girls football camp. "It was a rough catch, but she really took to the instruction I gave her on how to catch it properly. That's when it hit me and made me remember that girls want to play football too. I don't know why it never clicked with me until now, but I'm so excited to get this opportunity to introduce more girls to this sport."
Mycyk's one-day, non-contact football camp will be held at Walter Panek Park on Breintestein Road in Ambridge from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is open to all girls in grades 1-12 with a $20 registration fee. 
Camp participants will learn the basic fundamentals of football, including passing, catching, running with the football, basic terminology, and more. 

If there is one thing Felicia Mycyk loves to do, it's coach. The current head track coach at Ambridge High School has provided wisdom and guidance for athletes of numerous sports and age groups throughout the years. 

Although any opportunity to coach is valued, Mycyk says her experience as an assistant for the Ambridge Mighty Mite team in 2015 is one that wasn't the most enjoyable but helped her grow. 
Assistant coach Felicia Mycyk looks over the Ambridge Mighty Mite football team during a playoff game during the filming of "Friday Night Tykes: Steel Country."ESQUIRE NETWORK

"There were some problems exposed on that show that a lot of us knew about but didn't admit until we saw them on TV," she said. "On my end, it showed me that I need to speak up more. I know I'm right, I know I'm good, I know my value." 

In a town filled with impressive gridiron resumes, Mycyk's is far from the bottom of the barrel. After excelling in athletics her entire life, she worked her way into landing an opportunity with the Pittsburgh Passion, a semi-professional women's football team. 

Despite her experience within the game, Mycyk feels as though her knowledge wasn't always put to use. On the show, she had multiple disagreements with Smith during practices and games. 
"Watching those back taught me that I wasn't being assertive enough," she said. "I had ideas but didn't do my best to put them to use." - Assistant coach Felicia Mycyk

I had ideas but Mycyk had confidence far before she saw herself on the show but believes she has even more now. The mother of four makes a living helping others finding the leader within themselves and has received numerous awards and honors for her efforts as a mentor and motivational speaker. Unlike what she saw from herself in the show, Mycyk said she now knows to use her voice when she feels it can make a difference. 

While she aims to help people in all areas of life, Mycyk's passion remains in the world of sports. Last spring, she helped Ambridge's Bethany Naughton take home a medal at the PIAA Track and Field Championships. This fall, Mycyk will be working with the high school football team as the speed and conditioning coach. 
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If a mistake is made or an adjustment is needed, it can be assured that Mycyk will be there to weigh in on how the problem can be solved. 

This article by Noah Hiles originally appeared in the Beaver County Times.

A few years ago I worked for a political campaign. At a team meeting about neighborhood canvassing, there was a discussion on what dates and locations to visit. One of the members told me that I cannot go to a few towns because my skin color would hurt the candidate in the polls. Also, my safety was a concern. It set me back for a millisecond and reminded me that not everyone was as progressive as the candidate. It was more shocking that the person that said it to me was a young male in his 20s.