A Female Kicker Used to Making History

Making history isn’t something everyone gets to experience, but as the first female to put points on the board for a semi-professional football team, Katie Hnida has done just that…again. 

“It kind of comes with the territory,” said Hnida, who has been playing football for 14 years. Making history isn’t something she plans yet it’s something she embraces.

At 13, after an injury in soccer kept her from pursuing that sport, Hnida took up kicking footballs instead. She played for Chatfield High School and went on to the University of Colorado-Boulder.

After speaking out on being sexually assaulted by teammates, Hnida left CU and walked on to the University of New Mexico, where in 2003 she was the first female to score a point in NCAA sanctioned football.

After graduating, Hnida spent two years in New York before returning to her home state.

“I needed the blue skies and the mountains and places to run and places to kick field goals,” she explained. 
Now she’s kicking field goals for the Cobras, Colorado Football Conference’s newest team and she’s credited with the first field goal in franchise history.

“I didn’t even realize until my brother pointed it out after the game,” said Hnida, adding that it was a much cooler stat than just kicking one as a female. 

General Manager for the Cobras is 20-year coaching vet Lou Florez, who met Hnida during her high school days as  a coach at Chatfield. Keeping track of her over the years, he heard she was back in Colorado looking to get on a team; Florez sent Hnida an email asking her to play for him once again.     

“Katie’s the consistent kicker,” Florez said. “If we have to have it, Katie’s the one we go with.” 

As far as the difference between college and the CFC, Hnida says that it’s a bit more laid back. With one practice a week and Saturday evening games, the schedule compliments that of many of the players with families and full time jobs.
On the other hand, it has a similar intensity level. 

“I never thought anything would be as good as New Mexico,” Hnida said, speaking highly of her relationship with the team. “These guys not only accept it, they embrace it. If an opponent comes up and has something to say, I have my teammates.” 

When she’s not kicking balls through the uprights, Hnida is freelance writing and working with non profit organizations and colleges, speaking on behalf of sexual assault victims. She also speaks at signings for her book Still Kicking, in which she wrote about her experience at CU and overcoming it. Additionally, she works at a summer camp for children.  

As for the continuation of her football career, Hnida says she is just glad to be playing, for however long she may stick around. 

“Any day I get to play football, is a good day.”