There is now a flag football option for female athletes in the largest school district in North Carolina.

Thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from the Carolina Panthers, Wake County Schools will be running a girls’ flag football league during the winter season. This will provide an opportunity for female athletes in the district to take part in competitive football.

According to Deran Coe, the athletic director for Wake County Schools, the aim is to increase opportunities for female student-athletes. Research shows that students who are involved in sports have better academic outcomes and become more successful members of society. Therefore, it is important to provide girls and young women with the chance to participate in a dynamic, high-energy sport like this one.

A total of 19 out of 25 high schools in Wake County are taking part in the first season. Additionally, Cardinal Gibbons High School, a private school in Wake County and member of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, will have a team, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 20.

“When I presented the concept to our athletic directors, it was meant to be a trial program to gauge its success. My expectation was for around seven or eight teams to participate, and we made it available as an option to all 25 high schools within our district,” stated Coe.

More than 500 students are currently taking part in the inaugural season, with additional interest from others who wish to join.

Coe stated that the enthusiasm has been incredibly high. He has received phone calls and emails from student-athletes at schools that did not participate this year, expressing their disappointment and anticipation for potentially joining next year.

Brianna Riehle, a junior at Wakefield High School, is not only a talented softball player and cross country runner for the school’s Wolverines team, but also has a strong background in throwing footballs thanks to playing with her brother as a child. Being able to now officially compete in football for her school holds great significance for her.

Riehle expressed excitement about the upcoming homecoming powder puff games, which are always a fun event but unfortunately only last for one day. She finds it especially meaningful that this year’s event will span multiple days and provide an opportunity for team bonding. As someone who enjoys competing in sports, Riehle is particularly looking forward to this aspect of the games.

Derrick Walker, an assistant coach for the Millbrook High School football team, will also lead the girls’ flag football team. He has previously coached women’s flag football at the adult level and believes that spectators will be pleasantly surprised by the sport upon their first viewing.

“It is considerably more cutthroat than one may assume. When individuals hear ‘flag football’, they may categorize it as simply touch football. However, upon witnessing this sport at a higher level, the intense competitiveness becomes evident, especially among the female athletes. I believe that once fans tune in, they will be pleasantly surprised by the high level of competition. I am confident they will find it enjoyable,” stated Walker.

The Panthers are advocating for the inclusion of girls flag football as a recognized sport in North Carolina.

Thanks to the Carolina Panthers, the flag football program in Wake County was able to be implemented. The Panthers, being the state’s NFL team, granted $50,000 to the district to support the league, supplied jerseys for the schools, offered coaching training, and provided structure and assistance for administrators.

“The Carolina Panthers have been great … they’ve reached out a few times, we just wanted to make sure the timing was right and that we did this in a way that was scalable so we knew this would be successful for our female student-athletes,” Coe said.

The Panthers have previously implemented this practice. The first school district to introduce girls flag football in collaboration with the Panthers was Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. As a result, 29 teams in Mecklenburg County now participate in the sport after three seasons. Union County Schools and Cabarrus County Schools have since followed suit, and New Hanover County Schools is expected to join in later this year.

According to Riley Fields, the Director of Community Relations for the Carolina Panthers, the popularity of women’s high school flag football is rapidly increasing nationwide. A few states have already recognized it as a varsity sport, with girls competing for state championships. Fields stated that the launch of Wake County Public Schools’ program this winter is a crucial step towards achieving the goal of having women’s high school flag football sanctioned by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The ultimate goal is to provide girls in the state with the opportunity to represent their school and compete for state championships in the sport of girls flag football in the near future.

Sanctioning girls flag football could be a possibility sooner than anticipated. According to NCHSAA regulations, if at least half of the schools in a particular classification have a team, the sport can be evaluated for sanctioning. Approval from the Board of Directors would be necessary. The latest sport to receive sanctioning from NCHSAA was girls wrestling, which is currently in its inaugural year.

The USA Wrestling chapter in North Carolina was instrumental in initiating girls’ wrestling in the state. Similarly, the Carolina Panthers are also playing a significant role in promoting girls’ flag football.

Our main goal is to offer more chances for girls to participate in football in our area. The way girls and women are involved in football now is vastly different from 15 years ago,” stated Fields. “We now have women officiating in the Super Bowl, serving on NFL coaching staffs, and even scoring points in an SEC football game a few years ago. The only remaining obstacle is being able to compete in actual football games. Flag football presents this new opportunity.”

Based on data from the National Federation of State High School Associations, nine state associations have authorized the formation of girls flag football teams. In these states, a total of 913 schools have teams with 20,875 players. It is anticipated that North Carolina will eventually be added to this list.

Coe expressed his belief that the sport will be sanctioned, stating his confidence in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s support for student-athletes. He is certain that once the required number of teams is met, the sport will be officially recognized.

Coe stated that there have been talks between school districts and the NCHSAA regarding plans to officially recognize the sport in the future. This includes coordinating schedules so that all schools are competing during the same season.

He stated that he is confident that it will occur, and he is aware that the high school association will be in favor of it. This is especially true for any chance to improve athletics, particularly for female student-athletes after the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

The girls flag football teams of Wake County will commence their competition on Saturday, January 27th. The matches will take place at Athens Drive High School and Green Level High School, starting at 9:00 am. The final games will start at 2:00 pm.

Source: highschoolot.com