The Untold Story of Gabriella Farrell of the New York Sharks.

“I Love Football!” - Gabby Farrell

The New York Sharks are a women’s professional football team based out of Brooklyn, New York. The team is affiliated with the Independent Women’s Football League (IWFL), which began operations in 2000, and is one of three U.S football leagues for women. As the league heads into week five the NY Sharks are playing some of the best football in recent team history. In 2002, the Sharks won the IWFL championship, in the next two seasons to follow New York would make it back to the finals but would never win another title. This season the team is poised to make another serious run back to an IWFL Championship game and a large part of the teams’ success has to do with the play of the defense.

The Sharks have held opponents to 28 points in the first three games, 21 of those came in a week 1 win over the Montreal Blitz, and now the defense is clicking on all cylinders. Last week, the Sharks traveled down to Washington to take on the Prodigy. In a defensive battle the Sharks stopped the Prodigy on their overtime drive to win 10-7 in a thriller in DC. On that strong defensive unit, is Gabriella Farrell, a second year middle linebacker out of Levittown, New York. The 19 year old has played a huge role on the Sharks defense but her journey to the league wasn’t easy.

This week MyWSports got to chat with the rising star and ask her about her path to the New York Sharks. The Beginning

Gabby Farrell grew up in Levittown, NY and fell in love with the game of football at a very young age. Farrell was introduced to the game when her older brother began playing pop warner and father started coaching him. She would go to practices and games for the cheer squad of the team, but eventually realized she would rather play on the field than cheer. “I was always a cheerleader on the sidelines and I hated cheerleading… like hated it… and I always wanted to play football. So eventually my mom gave in.” Gabby’s mom was very excited and even announced it for all the parents to know at her brother banquet the following year.

Under the coaching of her father and support from her brother, Gabby would start playing football on the same team as her brother. The only girl on the team, Farrell credits her brother for never treating her any differently than other players. “ My brother has always been very supportive… he was always actually the only person on my team that will always go really hard on me… because everyone else was like ‘girl? We cant hit her.’” For years Gabby would stay involved with the league and play until she aged out of the program. Starting at safety then moving around the defense to corner and linebacker, Gabby loved playing the defensive side of the ball. It would be only a few years later when Gabby finally saw the negative perception people had of girls playing football.

Finding Your Passion Through Adversity

After Farrell’s parents had split up, her mom decided to move Gabby and her brother to Massapequa, New York. During her middle school years in her new county, Farrell found herself questioning whether football would even be an option. “When we moved to Massapequa, I tried out for the school team… because what else was I going to do…? So I tried out for the school team and was immediately out casted… I came from a town where it was understood I play football and I was good at it… so I had to prove myself at this new school.” Gabby would do just that and play in her first year, however the adversity endured by players and coaches made Farrell not want to try out in the coming years. “Middle school sucked… the coaches weren’t nice to me, try outs were very hard… I would not try out again, not in middle school or High school!” The pain was evident; dealing with her parent’s separation wasn’t easy and add to that the loneliness of being out casted, Gabby struggled. In high school the alienation continued but she continued to hope to play football one day.

What do you do when everything you love is taken from you and you have this void that you can’t seem to fill? For Gabby, it was trying new sports in school, but those sports didn’t give her that same passion she once had while playing football. “ I hated track, I hated soccer, I was always too aggressive for the girls.” At age 14 Gabby heard of the New York Sharks, and decided she would do whatever it took to try out once she turned 18. In high school she would train and prepare for the day she wanted to prove to everyone that she could play the game she loves. “I took high school one day at a time… I was passionate and without it I didn’t know if I would have football back in my life again.” Gabby was always dismissed due to her size and gender, but her hard work and dedication throughout High school would eventually pay off in her tryout with the New York Sharks.

Playing for NY

Farrell brings down Passion RB Tara Catone in 2015 (Gabby Farrell/Twitter)

At 14 years old, Gabby set out to be apart of the NY Sharks, four years later she would tryout and make the roster. In her rookie season the linebacker helped propel the Sharks to only two losses and into a second round playoff matchup with the Pittsburgh Passion. Although the Passion would defeat the Sharks and go on to win the IWFL championship, Farrell had herself quite the year. At the end of season banquet for the team, Gabby was named an All-American All Star, Defensive Most Valuable Player and Linebacker of the Year at 18 years old. “I was really proud and I was really happy, they are all hanging in my apartment!” Gabby also has another more recent accomplishment to celebrate and add to her wall, graduating with an associate’s degree in Business Administration from Briarcliffe College. Farrell earned a scholarship trying out for their basketball and soccer teams while studying for her degree.

This season the Sharks are 3-0 and have performed extremely well on the defensive side of the ball. With the loss of key veterans last season, Gabby has stepped up as a leader on the team and her teammates have noticed. “I am so happy every day, I have the best team… the best teammates… the support is unreal!” The transition has been easier for Farrell this season with the encouragement of the Sharks staff and her teammates. In the game against Washington this past weekend, Gabby took a shot head on from a Prodigy offensive player, with her nose bloodied she rallied the troops and demonstrated veteran leadership: “I took a block head on and my nose was gushing with blood, and my whole team was like ‘are you okay gabby? Are you okay? And I just kind of wiped my nose and was like ‘LET’S GO! LET’S GO STOP THEIR ASSES!’ it was crazy… we won” - Gabby

To A Bright Future

Although the path was not the easiest, it is that which makes us appreciate the journey even more. In this interview you could hear the joy and passion that Gabby displays when talking about her love of the game. She is determined to be great at everything she sets out to accomplish but also understands that there are lessons to be learned through the struggles. Losing football wasn’t just losing a game, it was losing an identity, and it was losing her sense of passion and drive. Middle and High school were tough for Gabby but once she found her drive to play football again, the other stuff didn’t matter. Achieving that goal at 18 years old and playing the role on defense that she has this season is a demonstration of her discipline and perseverance. It was an honor to meet and interview such a driven and inspiring person, we wish you much more success Gabby! Below is my favorite quote from the interview and a list of favorites of Gabby Farrell...

“Football has always been in my life and I really don’t know what I would do without it. There were years where I didn’t have football in my life and those were the worst years of my life! So I know I am so grateful to have the Sharks and I will do anything for my teammates!” - Gabby

Favorite book: Miss Peregrine

Favorite Junk food: frozen yogurt

Favorite Movie: Gnomeo + Juliet

Female athlete: Karen Mulligan

Who inspires you? My Grandma

The Sharks are back at home this weekend at the Aviator Sports and Events center taking on the Carolina Queens. Get your Information Here Follow Luis Sanchez on Twitter @Luis_MyW