Lola Burks Anna Ruth Riggins interview on recruiting and pro goals

The Lola Burks Anna Ruth Riggins interview traced an unlikely route into flag football: a coach invited Burks to tryouts while she was looking for a job. Burks also explained how Instagram, Flag Football Finder and direct messages to coaches shaped her college recruitment, and why she hopes to play or coach at the professional level.

How did Lola Burks start playing flag football?

Lola Burks started playing flag football after a coach approached her while she was preparing for a job interview. She had wanted to play football since middle school, but her parents had not allowed it. When the coach explained that his invitation was for girls flag football, she went to tryouts that day and made the team.

Wanting to play football in middle school

Burks said she argued with her parents because she wanted to play football. Their concerns about her safety meant she did not get the chance then. She later played basketball and softball, but after moving schools, she had a difficult experience with her softball team and stopped playing for it.

A job interview that led to tryouts

With sports no longer taking up her time, Burks decided to look for a job. A coach approached her and asked if she wanted to play football. She initially laughed off the suggestion because she thought he meant playing against boys. Once he clarified that it was girls flag football and that tryouts were that day, she went.

Burks estimated that about 80 girls tried out and said she was selected. She credits that coach’s approach with starting her flag football journey.

How did Lola Burks adjust to playing flag football?

Lola Burks said the hardest part of flag football was competing intensely with little experience while learning a new sport quickly. Her background in softball and basketball helped her adjust: she recognized familiar movements in pursuing flags, tracking the ball and playing defense, even as she had to learn how they applied on a flag football field.

From softball, Burks drew on sliding, diving and tracking the ball. She also connected the backpedaling required in flag football with movements she had already practiced. Basketball gave her experience with defensive positioning and reacting to an opponent.

Those connections did not erase the challenge of being new. Burks said she was competing hard despite having little flag football experience, but she felt able to adapt by using the skills she already had. In her view, athletes from other sports can find parts of their training that carry over.

What did Lola Burks say about brands and Gecko Spray?

Lola Burks described interest from companies as both an opportunity to share products and a source of personal support. Gecko Spray stood out to her because she had already seen its Instagram ads and wanted to buy it. After she contacted the company, it offered to send her the product in exchange for a video.

Support beyond product promotion

Burks said she appreciated that people behind the businesses checked on her as a person rather than contacting her only about promotional work. Having companies interested in her and willing to support her mattered to her beyond the chance to post about their products.

Reaching out to Gecko Spray

She had been seeing Gecko Spray in Instagram ads and thought the product looked interesting. Burks said she tried to purchase it, but a problem with her bank account prevented the transaction. She then reached out to the company and explained that she had wanted to buy it.

According to Burks, Gecko Spray responded by offering to send the product and asking her to make a video about it. She said the video was in the works; she did not say that it had been published.

What did Lola Burks say about flag football recruiting?

Lola Burks said Instagram and Flag Football Finder were her two biggest tools in flag football recruiting, but she did not wait for college coaches to find her. She contacted programs, sent her film and spoke with colleges to work out which option suited her. Some colleges also reached out to her.

Using Instagram and Flag Football Finder

Burks entered the process without much family experience to draw on: she said none of her family had gone to college and they were not particularly involved in sports. That made recruiting intimidating at first. She began learning how to navigate it and used Instagram and Flag Football Finder to connect with programs.

Sending film and choosing a program

She emphasized that a prospect’s interest has to be visible to coaches. Burks sent her film to colleges and showed that she wanted to hear from them, rather than relying only on a coach seeing her play or making the first approach. She also fielded interest from colleges that contacted her.

After speaking with programs, Burks weighed what she liked and disliked about each one. She compared that process to dating: conversations helped her decide what was right for her before committing to a choice. Her advice was grounded in the outreach she had done herself, not in waiting for an offer to arrive.

Does Lola Burks want to play or coach professional flag football?

Lola Burks wants to keep playing flag football throughout college and hopes to play professionally afterward. If a professional playing career is not the path she takes, she wants to coach at that level. Her interest in coaching comes from the support she has received from coaches, particularly while living three hours from home.

Playing through college and aiming higher

Burks said she wants to stay with flag football for all four years of college and get as much playing time as she can. Playing professionally after college would be a major goal for her. She also spoke about working hard toward it while accepting that her path might lead somewhere else.

The coaches who shaped her ambition

Her flag football coaches have been people she could rely on, Burks said. She described growing close to them and valuing what they do for athletes beyond instruction on the field. With her mother three hours away, that support has mattered to her personally as well as athletically.

Burks wants to offer another athlete the same kind of help she has received. Coaching would let her share her knowledge of the sport while being someone younger players could turn to.

What would Lola Burks tell her younger self?

Lola Burks would tell her younger self to keep going and believe in herself. After describing how an unexpected tryout led her into flag football, she returned to the importance of mindset: she believes persistence and a positive outlook can help someone continue working toward a goal, even when the route is uncertain.

Burks’s message was not tied to a particular offer, game or milestone. She wanted her younger self to keep pursuing her ambitions and trust that things could work out. It reflected the approach she described throughout our conversation, from taking a chance on tryouts to contacting college programs herself.

Burks put her central advice this way:

I believe that your mindset is the biggest thing that goes into anything that you do and just keeping that positive will work wonders.

Who is Lola Burks?

Lola Burks is a Class of 2026 flag football athlete at Arlington Martin and an East Texas Baptist University commit with eight offers. She plays running back, defensive back, slot, safety and linebacker. Alongside her work on the field, she is focused on leadership and building her personal brand.