LA VERNE, Calif. – There is no doubt it takes quick feet, a lot of strength, and coordination to play the game of football.

But University of La Verne freshman, Mika Makekau, knows it also takes something more — heart.

"I feel like football has this competition that is different than any other sport," Makekau said. "Everybody on the field plays with their heart and all out.”

It is that love of the game that helped her become the University of La Verne's first female football player. According to Max Preps, she is the fifteenth woman ever to play college ball.

Makekau is just 18-years-old and hails from Hawaii, where she set a state record for the state's longest field goal kicked by a female. So, while it is evident she possesses plenty of skill, her head coach Chris Krich said it was the other intangibles that made her stand out.

"Football is pretty easy," Krich said. "We can coach up the other things, but it’s really that hard work, determination, and family or brotherhood bond that we’re looking for.”

While adjusting to a male-dominated sport hasn't always been easy, her teammates now treat her with respect. She was even called upon to kick a field goal in the second game of the season.

"When he said field goal, he said Mika, and I was like, what," said Makekau. "So I ran out there and just kicked it.”

It was the first field goal of many she hopes will go through the uprights in her football career. Her goal is to inspire other little girls who grew up loving the game, but may be too afraid to suit up and take the field.