(ABC 6 News) – Most high school sports have both boys and girls teams, but football is a notable exception.

The Minnesota Vikings are seeking to change that by sponsoring the first high school girls flag football league.

Related: Minnesota Vikings launch girls flag football league, Mayo High School listed as participant

Mayo High School in Rochester is one of 51 schools participating, and the girls on the team couldn’t be more excited for the chance to play.

“A lot of us I think have wanted to play in the past and just haven’t had the opportunity, so to be able to say that we are a part of the flag football team is really cool,” said MHS senior Miley Behnken.

For Behnken’s teammate and fellow senior, Summer Browning, breaking down those gender barriers is nothing new.

“My freshman year I actually played football for the boys, so I kinda started Mayo out playing football and I’m gonna end it playing football,” said Browning.

Now she gets to share that love of the game with all her friends.

“It brings back a lot of memories because I started with boys, and I was a scared little freshman coming into a huge school of a thousand plus kids, but the boys like really took me in and it felt like home, and now being with like girls that I’ve played with, that I’ve had classes with, it’s just another home feeling,” Browning.

The team is working hard to learn the basics and prove themselves before their first game on April 27.

“It’s definitely gonna be weird at first because we’re not gonna know what to expect, we’re going against teams that have played before in many seasons, so it’s gonna be a little struggle probably at first, but we’ll get into the swing, and get a hold of what teams are capable of and we’ll give them a run for their money,” said Browning.

Breaking down gender barriers in sports has also been a lifelong goal of Coach Kahleigh Zollner. She’s proud to be a role model for these girls and help make their dreams come true.

“I know that sometimes it can be tough in the sports world and a sport like football, flag football, to have a female role model, I just feel like it’s my duty,” said Zollner.

Because nothing beats the excitement of getting to play.

“I want to be able to let girls know that you can do anything a boy does, you really can,” said Zollner.