Not knowing if you will ever at least get a shot at a job can be discouraging, especially when the main reason is because you don't coach football.

Kelly Carroll had sat back, been overlooked, passed over time and time again as the athletic director's chair at Fort Bend Christian Academy had been filled, while she remained as the assistant.

"You can get discouraged that it might never happen," Carroll said. "That they might never look at me in that sense and continuously get passed over for the football coach. Which, especially in the state of Texas, is how it works in most instances. Really wanted to show these girls on campus that a female in this role can do it just as well or not better as my male counterpart could."

With yet another athletic director moved on, the fourth in her tenure at FBCA, Carroll decided to push her chips to the center of the table and go for it again. Carroll had applied the time before and was denied but that didn't deter her.

"When it came up again, I made the decision this is what I want, this is where I want to go," Carroll said. "I feel like I can do it."

The feeling was mutual by the new head of school.

After starting as a community coach teaching softball, to serving as the middle school activities coordinator and eventually the assistant athletic director, Carroll finally got her shot.

Carroll was named the Fort Bend Christian Academy Athletic Director in the spring.

"It was exciting and scary all at the same time," Carroll said. "When you're that assistant, you always have in the back of your mind that it falls on the head athletic director at the end of the day. I'd always wanted that role. But when you're in a position for so long you kind of get into a routine.

"At that same time, being in that position for 11 years and having seen how amazing Fort Bend Christian is and how much more we can make of our department I am very excited to bring my vision to the athletic department."