FULTON, Mo. - A key member of the Owls' inaugural women's flag football season last spring, Addie Chilek, has had a lifelong passion for football, has experienced the highest level of flag competition and has been a highly involved student-athlete at William Woods University.

Back in 2018, Chilek, a native of Cuero, Texas, gained her first NFL Flag nationals experience, competing against the nation's best. At NFL Flag nationals, any team in the United States can represent an NFL team at the single-elimination national tournament if they win a regional tournament, and then support an NFL team at nationals. 

Chilek represented the Houston Texans at NFL Flag nationals.

"Being part of NFL Flag was a really special experience," Chilek said. "I first started going to NFL Flag nationals in 2018. I went to six or seven different nationals, big national tournaments. The first national tournament that I went to, I was part of Texas Fury, that's the organization that I played for back in Texas. Just about nine or 10 girls in the whole area, that was the amount of girls that played flag football. We never played against any other girls back home. We only ever played against guys.

"Whenever I got to nationals, I was like 'Whoa, this is a huge thing!' But that was back in 2018, and to where it is now, it was just barely anything compared to what it is now. Now at nationals, there are games that are aired on national television. There's college coaches, a lot of college coaches, at that tournament. That's how I was able to get scouted to play in college.

"It gave me a really cool opportunity to be able to play at the collegiate level, because flag football is not sanctioned in high school in Texas. That's where I'm from, so I didn't play for my high school, but since I played through Texas Fury, and I was able to get on that national stage with NFL Flag, then scouts from the junior national team saw me, and then also college coaches."

To play on the national stage, Chilek got noticed through her performances with Texas Fury, an all-girls select travel team based in Austin, Texas, that plays in an NFL Flag-sanctioned league.

"I was invited to the first-ever tryout for the (United States) junior national team, and so were the rest of my Texas Fury teammates," Chilek said. "With Texas Fury, we won three national championships. Texas Fury actually won this past nationals this summer. It's a very successful program. It started a couple of years before me with just six girls. There were about 10 of us on the team when I joined. Now, it's grown. There's like 15 different Texas Fury teams now, of different age divisions. Through the success and the spotlight that NFL Flag put on our team, I was able to get scouted for the junior national team. I played for the junior national team for two different years, on the 15U team and the 17U team, and that was an incredible experience, too."

Before getting into flag football, Chilek enjoyed playing football at school and wanted to play tackle. It all started for Chilek by watching football games with her father.

"Since I was really little, I wanted to play tackle," Chilek said. "I grew up watching football with my dad, like every Saturday, we love to watch college football. I just love the game. I played at recess when I was in elementary school. I never had the dream to play football at a high level, because I didn't think that there was an option. I was told that I couldn't play. Instead, I played basketball through middle school and high school. But in seventh grade, when I found out that there was a flag football team, a local flag football team, I was like, 'Sign me up right now.'

"I didn't know what it was gonna be about. Didn't know how it was gonna be, but I joined and it was immediately a home. I was right where I needed to be. As the game has grown, my passion for the game and my passion for this movement of girls playing football has grown to incredible heights now."

Being part of the growth and receiving nationwide exposure at NFL Flag nationals, Chilek expressed what the opportunity has led to for her.

"Without the spotlight that NFL Flag put on for me, I wouldn't have gotten to play on the national team, junior national team, I wouldn't have gotten to play in college at all," Chilek said. "It also opened up a lot of connections for me. I've got connections and relationships and friends with people that I've played against or played with on the national team from all around the country. It's created this really big connection for me with a whole lot of really cool people who are also trailblazers in the sport."

Chilek became a trailblazer for flag football at William Woods as a leader in Year 1.

"I really, really liked the opportunity of being able to be part of the first team in program history," Chilek said. "I love leadership, especially sports leadership, and so that opportunity to really lead a team and lead a program and set that standard in that team culture was really special. I think we've created a really strong and positive culture on our flag football team, and that's really interesting and that's really special."

While flag football was the main reason Chilek chose William Woods, she has been involved with more than just her sport of choice at the university.

"Initially, when I came to The Woods, it was just for flag football," Chilek said. "It was because I like the opportunity to be able to set the standard and set the culture for a new team. I thought that was really special. But the way that I've embraced The Woods, it has become so much more than just flag football for me. I'm in the honors program here, which has helped me to gain a lot of awesome connections. I'm involved in different clubs on campus. I'm also a university ambassador on campus, and The Woods is special because it really encourages that student involvement. Through the LEAD program, I've made a lot of different connections with and relationships with people on campus, and so just getting involved in a lot of different ways has made The Woods feel like such a great place for me.

"I love it here."

For Chilek, her favorite part about Woods is the people.

"The people here make The Woods what it is," Chilek said. "I just love to connect with others. The people here are awesome. The newcomers on our football team, multiple different times, they've told me the people here are just so nice. They're surprised how nice everybody is here, how we all talk to each other, and how we treat each other. I think that they're right. It's a special thing that's here."

William Woods opens Year 2, playing Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference opponent Southwestern College on Feb. 28 at Richard L. Jantz Stadium in Winfield, Kan. The Owls' home opener will be on March 7 against KCAC foe Bethel College (Kan.) at North Campus Athletic Complex in Fulton.

"I'm really excited for this year and really excited for the program of flag football to keep growing and growing," Chilek said. "I'm super passionate about girls playing flag, girls playing football, and I've been given a really, really awesome opportunity to be here at Woods. My advice for any other student-athlete is to get involved on campus and be a leader wherever you can."