Rugby player Ilona Maher responds to crying girl who was told she 'can't play football'
She knew exactly what to say.
Girls can play whatever sport they want to play.
Rugby player Ilona Maher's delightfully goofy personality, fearless authenticity, and vocal advocacy for body positivity made her an instant icon following the 2024 Olympics, as well as an inspiring role model for young girls. Whether she’s dancing onstage to Encanto or simply collecting the whipped cream tax from her fridge at home, her message of “you are perfect as you are” rings loud and clear.
And thankfully, Maher came across one young girl who particularly needed some encouragement. On TikTok, a mom named Stephanie (@stephsayitall) and her heartbroken daughter, Lena shared how she was told that girls can’t play football.
That's not even factually true, given that The NFL is actively promoting flag football for girls, with initiatives like the "NFL FLAG 50" campaign, aiming to sanction it as a varsity sport in all 50 states. According to the official NFL Flag website, 14 states have officially sanctioned girls flag as a varsity sport.
Still, words like can have a major impact on kids. In the clip, we see poor little Lena, in tears, saying that words stung so much because of how deeply she loves the sport. And while Stephanie of course told her daughter that “girls can do anything they wanna do,” Lena is at that age where she doesn’t believe mom anymore.
@stephsayitall This one is for the girlies! We’ve hit an age where she doesn’t just believe me anymore. She doesn’t see any girls who ever play football. She’s the only one that joins the boys at recess and she has been getting knocked down pretty hard by others. Please help show my baby that other badass women are out there! #girls #girlies #forthegirls #sports #football #women #girlscandoittoo #girlsbelike #womenssports #powerfulwomen #growingup #show #babygirl #girlmom ♬ original sound - WBsongs
But maybe, just maybe, some words from an Olympian will do just the trick.
“Hi, my sweet girl!” Maher says in a stitched video. “You know what you can play? Rugby.”
She then gives her pitch, saying, “We tackle, we run, we stiff-arm. Dare I say, maybe more fun than football. And! We have the same exact rules as the boys. No differences. So tell your mama to bring you out to some practices. I think you’ll like it.”
@ilonamaher #stitch with @Stephanie Easley ♬ original sound - Ilona Maher
And Maher definitely has a point. Female participation in rugby is at an all-time high,, with the women's game being the fastest-growing area of rugby globally. So plenty of girls are having plenty of fun on the Rugby field in lieu of a football stadium.
Others seemed to agree with Maher and were quick to offer some additional encouragement.
“Aaaannnddd rugby is in the Olympics and football isn’t!” one person chimed.
Another said, “Let’s be honest, rugby is WAY cooler than football!”
Still another mentioned, “Annnnnnnd, you don’t have to wear a helmet,” while a fourth wrote, “Truth be told, Rugby is much tougher than football and I played football,” admitted another commenter. “#Respect.”
That said, Lena was also shown support from football organizations as well. BBC Women’s Football wrote, “Sport if for everyone, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Women’s Semi Pro Tackle Football Team the Cincinnati Cougar seconded that sentiment, saying, “girls can ABSOLUTELY play football, and we’re proof!” Similarly, women’s hockey team PWHL Sceptres of Toronto wrote, “don’t let anything stop you from playing the sport that you love! The world is a better place with girls and women playing sports.”
Kansas City Glory linebacker Nana Olavuo even invited Lena and her mom to come to watch what would end up being a victorious game for her team. Below, we see Lena getting to celebrate that epic win.
@stephsayitall I have been watching these videos on repeat. @Nana Olavuo🏈🇫🇮 just won a HUGE game agaist a team that went undefeated for four straight seasons and the last season were only beat once… This was a huge game for them in addition to it being their season opener!!! Then let’s add on the fact that this was the largest crowd that they have ever had and obviously a large social media following along with news media presence!!! This was a win. She deserved to feel and celebrate with her team!!! Instead she immediately looked to where my daughter had been previously standing, found her elsewhere, and without hesitation ran directly to her. Instead of celebrating the win in the way, she deserved with her incredible team she shared her win with my little girl!!! my little girl who had been a stranger to her up until incredibly recently. This moment was much bigger than I think the Internet even realizes and to share it with Elena as much bigger than anyone could imagine. These two girls bonded hard and quick.@WNFC @Kansas City Glory #football #girls #girlies #womenssports #womensfootball #changetheworld #forthegirls #sports #women #girlscandoittoo #girlsbelike #powerfulwomen #win #share #bond #besties #little3 #big3 #hoziersyell #onceinalifetime #tripofalifetime ♬ Northern Attitude - Noah Kahan & Hozier
While rugby might still be in Lena’s future, judging by some other subsequent videos, football isn’t going anywhere.
As long as she remembers that she can, in fact, play any sport she wants, we see no problem with that. If she ever forgets, there will be plenty of awesome women her to remind her.
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An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
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Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
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Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."