Growing up outside of Albany, New York, Brizzell was an outstanding athlete who played several sports throughout her childhood. She was also a collegiate athlete as a member of the volleyball team while earning her bachelor's degree at Hartwick College. She moved to the Philadelphia region to earn a master's degree in marriage and family therapy from MCP Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) and has since earned a second master's degree in school counseling from the College of New Jersey.
A counselor in the Abington School District for 18 years, Brizzell has coached several of the junior high and varsity sports programs. After the first year of the Eagles Girls Flag Football League, she was approached by one of her students Sydney Brice about starting a team at Abington. Brice played flag football and knew firsthand how the sport could benefit the school.
"I love sports. I believe it's a place where you can build a positive team. I'm a school counselor and I believe it helps people learn life lessons and be able to grow as indivduals," Brizzell said.
She tabbed Francis Bowe, a social studies teacher in the district, to be her co-coach, which she says was the best move she could have made when starting the program. The relationships the two had with the students allowed the team to flourish out of the gate, as the Lady Ghosts went undefeated and captured the state title in their first season.
Johnson, the senior quarterback who was at the helm of the 2023 championship squad, was the first player to be nominated by the Eagles for the [Maxwell Football Club's inaugural Girls National Flag Football Player of the Year](https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/maya-johnson-national-womens-and-girls-in-sports-day-maxwell-club-nominee-super-bowl-lix) in 2024.
"Maya is a phenomenal leader for the girls in many different ways," Brizzell said. "She's just a very composed player."
Brizzell's ability to build Abington into a consistent winner has not gone unnoticed. She has accepted the job at Chestnut Hill College to become the school's first girls flag football head coach, just another example of how rapidly the game has grown.
"I love the sport. I'm enjoying the sport so much. It's just the intensity, the toughness, just the excitement," Brizzell said. "It's awesome to watch and be part of."
But first, there's unfinished business at Abington.
"They've been locked in since the beginning of the season and they are driven to win again," Brizzell said. "They are athletic, you can see that, but it's also they are playing with their minds, their hearts, and they are set on this and they want it. We know that this is a rare team in terms of being able to be successful. We are all just very driven together as one."