Common Ground, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Newsletter
August 2020
Recently, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Jessica Cabrera was featured in the documentary film, “Born To Play.”
The film chronicles the story of the Boston Renegades – a professional women’s football team – and their quest for redemption following a regular season in which they logged a perfect record, only to fall short in the national championship game.
A trainer and instructor at the Department’s Correction Officer Training Academy in Chelsea, Lt. Cabrera amassed an impressive twenty-one-year career as a football player, winning three national championships along the way.
According to Lt. Cabrera, the film not only captures the daunting universal challenges faced by professional athletes attempting to maintain peak performance in pursuit of excellence, but it also documents the struggle for respect and acceptance faced by women in sports.
“The documentary has been so surreal for me,” said Lieutenant Jessica Cabrera. “Every opportunity I get to watch it, I take advantage of, and the same goes for my teammates. Every single time, I get goose bumps and shed a tear or two.”
In the film, which includes riveting in-game footage and personal interviews with members of the team, we see Lt. Cabrera in her current role as an assistant coach for the Renegades, having since transitioned from the field to the bench. Lt. Cabrera lends her knowledge and experience to the team as they embark on their mission to return to championship form in an attempt to reclaim past glory and redeem their near-perfect season.
Do they succeed? Find out for yourself by watching “Born To Play” and taking the journey with Lt. Cabrera and the Renegades. You can stream the film by Googling, “Born To Play, ESPN,” and clicking on the link.
Speaking about the great support that director Viridiana Lieberman has given to both the team and to a sport that gets comparatively little attention next to their male counterparts, Lt. Cabrera said, “It’s been great to finally get the spotlight and recognition, not only for the team, but for women’s football. We still have a long way to go, though.”