U.S. Army Veteran Felicia Teeter is spearheading the rise of one of the biggest movements in women’s sports, Girls Flag Football. Felicia is breaking stereotypes while she fearlessly pursues her passion for coaching football. As a middle-aged woman, she carved her own path coaching high school football in west Texas. Her military leadership skills shined immediately and earned the respect of her players and colleagues. As a result, she was pulled into head coaching duties in Flag Football. She is relentless in her pursuit for improvement and is committed to saying YES! We interviewed coach Teeter to learn about her inspiration and motivation.
STS: Tell your story about how and why you go into coaching. Discuss how coaching has impacted you as a person.
Coach Teeter: Coaching high school football had never been a dream of mine because it was never something that was in the realm of possible when I grew up. As my three children went through high school sports, I witnessed student-athletes “falling through the cracks,” quitting, or alienating from sports. It seemed to me that it often happened because coaches had some great technical or sport-specific skills but not intentional leadership development as we did in the military and DoD. Since most of my active duty and civil service had been focused on leadership development and strategic planning in a training environment, I thought becoming an athletic director once I finished my civil service career would be the best way to impact the most kids since I could help develop coaches.
I joined and began attending athletic director, coaching conferences, and clinics and quickly realized no one was going to hire me to be an Athletic Director without being a coach. But I kept my memberships and kept attending because I found it compelling. I found myself exclusively in the football sessions. I did this for a good bit of my vacation time during my last 8 years of civil service.
When I left civil service, I thought I would work as a private contractor doing leadership and strategic planning training with DoD clients and then ISDs.
Covid hit right when I launched my business, so I had to find a plan B!
Since I had been a member of THSCA (Texas High School Coaches Association), I had access to the job board. So I sat down one day and applied for entry-level coaching positions across the state and was almost immediately contacted by an assistant AD from Lubbock, TX. Within 2 weeks, I was on the ground with my first football coaching job!
I am having so much fun in this new career working with inspiring young people and have met amazing coaches from across the country and have gained some fantastic mentors along the way!
STS: How has your military experience influenced you as a coach?
Coach Teeter: Every day…My focus with every team or position group is on developing leaders. The guiding principles for my athletes are based on the core values ingrained in me from the army. We focus on physical and moral courage, competence, candor, and commitment.
How I organize and execute game plans is influenced very much by the strategic planning I learned and executed in my formal schooling as both a soldier and an Air Force civilian.
STS: How has Soldiers To Sidelines impacted your life?
Coach Teeter: I’m relatively new to the organization but have already worked with some fellow soldier coaches on a camp and was reinvigorated by the common framework we all had that allowed us to forge together to put on a camp with very little time together. Additionally, the opportunity to work with O- and D-linemen from Washington, DC, high schools reminded me how much I enjoyed working with that level of football. I was amped the entire time!
STS: Describe a coaching interaction with a player, or group of players, that has a special place in your heart.
Coach Teeter: Recently I was back in Lubbock visiting my youngest daughter and decided to stop in at summer workouts at the first school I coached at. When I walked up, some of the athletes saw me, and they spread the word that “Coach Teeter was here.” It was so awesome to see some boys that I had coached since they were in middle school through high school, and we had a mutual bond. It just reinforced that I had made the right decision to start coaching football.
STS: What are your aspirations in coaching?
Coach Teeter: Honestly, with all my kids grown and on their own, I just enjoy every step of the journey. I am fortunate that I can say “yes” when presented with opportunities. Right now, I’m the head coach for Bethel College women’s flag football, which also provides me an opportunity to assist with the men’s tackle football team. I am enjoying the best of both worlds! I love recruiting and have an aptitude for it, but I really love working as a position group coach. At some point, I would love to be a position coach for either Tight ends or linemen at any level of college ball.
STS: What was the most difficult challenge you have experienced in coaching, and what have you learned from that experience?
Coach Teeter: My first head coaching job was head coach for a women’s flag team at a JUCO. My staff was just me and eventually some student-athletes from other sports. I brought on an operations staff and a student assistance coach. I learned a ton about the other positions and installing offense and defense. I overestimated the things I could affect both on the team and on campus as a solo coach. I was very frustrated with some of the results on and off the field.
I applied those lessons learned in my current head coaching position in my recruitment strategy, implementation plan, fundraising, and alumni relations. Those lessons also gave me a better overall understanding of the things I can and cannot control!!
STS: Is there anything else you can share with us about your coaching story?
Coach Teeter: I have been so fortunate to have had so many mentors assist and advise me once I became a football coach. Many would assume I would have faced misogyny as a middle-aged woman starting a tackle football coaching career in west Texas, but I have found the football coaching fraternity to be very welcoming. I have made some amazing friends with both male and female coaches and athletic directors at different levels who are willing to advise, recommend, and guide me. Don’t be afraid to say YES!
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