EAGAN, Minn. — Shernice Henry has been around American football literally her entire life.

A New Zealand native, Henry was born to parents passionate about the sport and involved in the founding of the Papatoetoe (pah-pah-toy-toy) Wildcats American Football Club in 1986 — her mother as the club's president and father as a player.

"I started on the sideline under a tree, probably with a dummy (pacifier) and a bottle," Henry quipped. "And then I got into water responsibilities, running out the kicking tee, holding the down markers, managing teams, refereeing.

"But I didn't get to play a game until I was 26 years of age," she added. "When I was growing up, I was always interested in being part of it, but I was a girl. So they're like, 'Sorry, Shernice.' My uncles: 'Sorry, Shernice, this is for the boys.' I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, the audacity.' "

She received "the" phone call in 2017.

"I was pregnant at the time," Henry recalled. "One of the club leaders called and goes, 'Hey, we're playing women's and we're going to start in August.' I was like, 'Thank you, ma'am. Let me just give birth to my baby and I'm going to be there.' "

Henry's son was born on June 24, 2017. Four weeks later, she suited up and joined the Wildcats women's club for preseason games.

"My partner's like, 'What are you doing?' And I said, 'I don't think you know, but I've been waiting my whole life for this opportunity,' " Henry reflected.

Mentorship in Minnesota

Fast forward to present day, and Henry has tackled an entirely different opportunity — this time, one that's brought her to America.

Henry last month spent 10 days with the Minnesota Vikings organization as part of the 2026 Global Sports Mentoring Program. Launched in 2012 as a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and espnW, GSMP connects international established and emerging leaders in sports, increasing cross-cultural relationships that build trust and mutual respect while breaking down cultural barriers.

By equipping international delegates to pursue reforms like Title IX and the ADA in their home countries, the GSMP champions democratic values, promotes economic freedom and strengthens ties with U.S. organizations.

Vikings Vice President & General Counsel Ronika Carter expressed the organization's excitement for hosting Henry in October.

"Our mission is to advance the Vikings legacy through the passionate pursuit of excellence. To me, that means continually asking how we can use the strength of the Vikings organization and the platform of sport to make an impact that extends beyond wins and losses," Carter said. "The Global Sports Mentoring Program was a natural extension of that mission and our values. At its core, the program is about using sport to develop leaders, create opportunities and strengthen communities around the world. Those are principles that resonate deeply with who we strive to be as an organization.

"Our participation also reflects our belief that leadership carries a responsibility to both teach and learn," Carter continued. "We had an opportunity to share our people, experiences and resources with an emerging global sports leader, but we also had the opportunity to learn from Shernice, her experiences and the work being done to grow American football in Aotearoa, New Zealand. That exchange of ideas and perspectives is what makes sports diplomacy so powerful."

Henry traveled from New Zealand to the United States and kicked off the program at the University of Tennessee’s Center for Sport, Peace and Society — where she met and spent a week learning about and connecting with 10 other women in her cohort. The group then flew to California for five days of continued preparation.

"When you first learn about the program, they speak about the 'global family' and 'sisterhood.' I [was skeptical] at first," Henry admitted. "But really, the setting and fact we are all coming from the [different places but] with the same kinds of challenges and then experiencing this program together for the first time — I swear, by lunchtime on our first day, we were connected as peas in a pod."

Following their time in California, though, the women dispersed to their companies, businesses and teams all around the country.

Henry traveled to Minnesota, where she spent eight immersive days with the Vikings organization and met with more than 40 staff members (from associates to executive vice presidents) representing 20 departments.

"The way the business is run with so much care, community, connection and a real consciousness to be doing great — not just for the team, but for everybody attached to or through NFL football or even flag — you people are just the best," Henry said with a grin.

Playing & influencing

In New Zealand, Henry not only plays for the Wildcats (she started on the defensive line but has also played linebacker, offensive line, running back and just about every other position) but also serves as one of two club administrators.

Henry is passionate about advocating for her teammates, as well as women playing for other teams or who have interest in learning more about American football. She loves sharing the sport with young girls and women because of the ways it's so deeply impacted her life.

"You know how boys talk about putting on the [pads] and becoming a bigger part of themselves? I love that and I've absolutely felt that myself, being in the game," Henry described. "Sometimes it's like, 'Ohh, who am I?' "

Known away from the field as sweet, caring and sympathetic, Henry quipped that her intensity surprises people when the pads come on:

"They call me a Kinder Surprise because I'm like, hello, [so sweet], and then — boom, bam, boom!

"I'm very vocal, and I'm really demanding of my teammates, as well," especially as a senior player now," Henry added. "I'm only going to ask them for what I know they can give me."

Henry believes that football — tackle or flag — can and should be made accessible for anyone.

"On the gridiron, everybody has the opportunity to achieve health and wellbeing," she said. "And to be part of a team [is so valuable]. Because when you're not on a team, you're living life isolated, you're not going to get too much success. But when you can learn to band together, collaborate and be part of a community, more often than not, you're going to be successful."

Henry invests hours of energy and time into creating opportunities for youth within the Wildcats club. She also researches other leagues and sports, soaking in as much information as possible to elevate her own baseline and continue growing American football in New Zealand.

A highlight for Henry while with the Vikings was connecting with Director of Youth & High School Football Joe Rush and his team to learn about the growth of girls and women's flag football across Minnesota and region.

"There's a saying I've heard here [in America]: 'If you build it, they will come.' I've heard it a lot lately, and in talking with Joe I see that principle applied," Henry reflected, referencing the American classic Field of Dreams. "Joe said, 'Try something small. See what it looks like.' He said the Vikings flag initiative was something small, and now it's blown up into something more than he could ever dream.

"So I've just got to be really intentional about what we want," she continued. "Yes, it's participation. Yes, it's girls playing sport for health and wellness. … But what I think is most important is enabling women or people to be empowered and capable to coach and to lead teams. Everybody wants to play, but we just don't have the people with the tools or confidence [to help make that happen].

"I think one of the key identifiers for women in my sport is for them to have the confidence that these are tools they already have," Henry added. "They play the game, so they know the rules and they know what works from playbooks. And then, they're mothers — they teach children how to live and breathe. How could you not teach them how to pick up a ball and play flag or tackle football? So, these are the kinds of realizations and realities that I need New Zealand females to be thinking about.

"I'm creating an action plan," Henry emphasized.

Ready for impact

Henry capped her week in the Twin Cities by attending the Gophers-Hawkeyes game at the University of Minnesota and then the Vikings Week 7 win over the Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium.

She wrapped up her time in Minnesota feeling informed, inspired and energized by leaders and staff members throughout the Vikings organization. While participating in this end-of-week interview with me, Henry pointed to the Vikings mission printed on a conference room wall.

" 'Advance the Vikings legacy through the passionate pursuit of excellence. … We put the team first. We strive to achieve. We commit to a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. … We exhibit high character and we seek to learn.' This sentence, this motto, this statement, this is exactly who you are," Henry said. "Every single person I've been able to meet, to connect with, to laugh with and to learn from capture all of this.

"I'm having sometimes 20-minute, 30-minute conversations, but it never strays away from this," Henry added. "And that's exceptional."

Since departing Minnesota, the next leg of the GSMP program took Henry to the East Coast, where she spent 11 days with NFL Films, and then to the Department of State to reunite with her cohort and present on the totality of her experience.

Carter is proud of the Vikings involvement in Henry's journey and in equipping her to continue fueling American football in New Zealand.

"As the Vikings continue to grow our global presence, I believe we have an opportunity to be a leader in sports diplomacy, as well, using a shared love of sport to build meaningful relationships across cultures, invest in emerging leaders and demonstrate what our values look like in action," Carter said. "Shernice wants future generations to have the opportunity to belong, contribute and lead, and she ultimately wants to 'leave the game greater than I found it.' I hope her time with the Vikings reinforced that she does not need to replicate what we have built in Minnesota; she can take the principles that resonate with her, adapt them to her own community and build something authentically her own.

"If she left Minnesota more confident in her ability to do that, and with a broader network of people who believe in what she is building, then I think the mentorship accomplished precisely what it was intended to accomplish," Carter added.

View the Vikings 2026 Schedule.

Check out the Vikings current 2027 NFL Draft Selections.

Look ahead to the Vikings 2027 Opponents.

Buy single game tickets.

Download the official Vikings App.

Learn about the 2028 NFL Draft in Minnesota.