Talk of the Town with Morgan Harper • Emily Chapman • Noble to New York Sharks to AJ's Northeast

Talk of the Town host Morgan Harper sits down with Berwick native Emily Chapman, whose path runs from peewee football at Noble Squires to women’s tackle football with the New York Sharks in New York City, and back home again to coaching youth sports and building community. Emily talks about being the only girl on her peewee team in 1997, finding her way to a women’s professional football league while studying communications and fine arts in Manhattan, and earning a record as a kicker with the Sharks. She remembers the challenge of balancing school, practices across the city, and the financial realities of women’s football, as well as the thrill of playing a game in Portland with a huge hometown crowd cheering in the stands. Back in Berwick, Emily has focused on raising her kids, working one-on-one with students at Noble, and coaching youth soccer. She shares how her background in sports helped her navigate her son’s seizures and his transition from football to soccer, and why building confidence in young athletes, especially girls, matters so much. Now serving in community relations for Aroma Joe’s Northeast, Emily also talks about using her role to support local athletes and nonprofits, from sponsorships to events like the stiletto run for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The conversation closes with her love for Berwick’s history, the book “Billy Boy,” and the many ways residents can get involved in supporting youth sports through schools and recreation programs. Recorded in Berwick, Maine, as part of the Talk of the Town series.