How Jazmin Gamble plans to rebuild Hawthorne High football
Football can teach many life lessons and no one knows that better than Jazmin Gamble, Hawthorne High’s new varsity head coach.
As a woman in a male-dominated profession, one could define her as a pioneer — and that would be accurate — but while she recognizes the historical significance of what she does, Gamble doesn’t let herself be distracted from the task at hand: turning around a program that has fallen on hard times.
“It’s less about proving something and more about giving all these boys a better experience,” Gamble said. “I’m not downplaying the impact, rather I want to bring attention in a way that benefits the players and opens doors for them. I’m thrilled and honored that the district saw my vision and said ‘this girl can do this’. I have to ask myself how I can take advantage of this opportunity to highlight our team.
Gamble, who turns 36 in June, is a running back and linebacker for the Los Angeles Legends of the Women’s National Football Conference, a full-contact professional league made up of 16 franchises across the United States.
Gamble was selected Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 and Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 when she rushed for a league-leading 549 yards (averaging 11.9 yards per carry) while scoring three touchdowns.
“I tore my ACL my freshman season and was on injured reserve, but I came back in 2022 and have been playing ever since,” she said. “We made it to the playoffs last season, but lost in the first round. We’re 2-1 right now with three games left. We played our first home game at Long Beach Poly, so the boys got to see their coach in action. We won 23-0 and I scored a touchdown, but it was called back due to a holding.”
Hawthorne High football coach Jazmin Gamble calls for her players to huddle together during a recent practice.
(Steve Galluzzo / For Time)
The Legends’ next home game is April 25 against the Utah Falconz at the St. Anthony Sports Complex in Lakewood.
“This is my last year of playing, but I wanted to transition more into coaching,” said Gamble, a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor who started a business 10 years ago called Jazz Standard. “I first heard about this position through my coaching network and it sounded very appealing. I applied, interviewed and got it. Football takes so much time and energy. I’ve done enough in the sport. It’s the right time for me to stop, and although this is my first chance as a head football coach, I’ve been coaching athletes for six or seven years, including some of my teammates, and They have improved.”
A Bakersfield native, Gamble was an exceptional all-around athlete. Growing up, she was a gymnast and cheerleader. She played club volleyball, ran track and played basketball while attending four high schools, two in Bakersfield and two in the Bay Area, and graduated from Mt. Diablo High in Concord.
When she moved to Los Angeles 13 years ago, she was in survival mode.
“I was homeless and slept in the backseat of my car for a few months until I got a job in human resources,” she recalls. “I started training and working in the fitness field and after struggling to succeed for a few years, I decided I wanted to become a business owner and things took off from there. Now I have 33 active clients that I see two to four times a week and I even train the #2 rusher in WNFC.”
Gamble lives in Inglewood but her business is in Gardena, near Serra High, where she was involved behind the scenes with the flag football team before the sport was officially sanctioned by the CIF in 2023.
“A few of these girls trained with me and I learned to take a different schematic approach. Boys play football from the age of 5 or 6, while women start at 20 or even early 30s, and their bodies aren’t prepared for it. I didn’t start playing tackle until I was 31.”
Gamble is still putting together a team, but one of his assistants will be his brother, Kenneth Davis, a former wide receiver at Liberty High in Bakersfield.
Hawthorne does not have a junior varsity team. There were 29 players on the roster last year and nine graduated.
“The first day, 22 people came to the weight room,” Gamble said. “Some players are on track right now, but come May I’ll have them all. My strong point is development, so I’m ready for that. Right now we’re at ground zero. We’ve only had a handful of practices, mostly conditioning. The boys have been super receptive. I’m just going to be me!”
Hawthorne went 2-8 last season, finishing fourth in the Ocean League and being outscored by 281 points. The Cougars were shut out three times.
“Jazmin is a breath of fresh air,” said athletic director Mario Romero, who was involved in the hiring process. “She has generated enthusiasm throughout the school community and I am excited about the direction her leadership will take.” »
Hawthorne High football coach Jazmin Gamble shows her players how to run a drill during practice.
(Steve Galluzzo / For Time)
Fifteen players showed up Wednesday for an hour-long workout at HalCap Field. One of them was quarterback Anthony Green, who played the final two games as a sophomore last year after transferring from King/Drew and is the projected starter next season.
“She made a good impression,” he said. “I like the practices – they are very intense – and I like the competition. The coach expects a lot and she pushes us.”
Gamble put his players through a series of drills to test their endurance, speed and technique. The penalty for walking was push-ups.
“Here, everything has to be earned… may the best win!” she shouted.
“Her practices are intense – she knows what she’s doing,” added junior linebacker Adrian Lopez, who was first-team All-League last fall. “She has a home game coming up and I think I’ll go watch. My goal for us is to have at least a .500 season and make the playoffs.”
Gamble is not the first woman to coach college football at Hawthorne. Monique Boone was the varsity assistant defensive line coach and assistant offensive line coach in 2021 under former head coach Corey Thedford. However, overseeing the entire program puts Gamble in a rarefied atmosphere.
What convinced Romero that Gamble was the right person for the job?
“Her background, her skills and also the fact that she plays the sport at a high level herself,” he said.
