Women have been playing football for over 60 years, yet this is the first year that West Seattle High School will field a team. For some clarification, flag football is quite similar to tackle football, but with key differences: the game is played 7 v 7 on a shorter field, and instead of tackling, players must pull the flag attached to the waist of their opponents to stop the play.
The first organized women’s’ flag league started in the 1970s, and since then it has been one of the fastest growing sports ever. They’ve received huge sponsorships from the NFL and Nike, which have partnered together to donate $5 million to support the growth of girls’ flag football in high school athletics across the country. Fortunately, this continued backing from renowned corporations has even ignited talks of including women’s flag football in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“According to the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), 2.4 million kids and teenagers play flag football in the U.S., many in leagues sponsored by the NFL (Right as Rain by UW Medicine).”
The rise in popularity of the sport is undoubtedly a result of several NFL-sponsored leagues, however, it’s important to note other factors for its prominent success. One, for instance, is that flag football serves as a non-contact and safe alternative of the traditional sport. In fact, tackle football has the highest number of sports-related concussions for young people in the U.S. And just to put that in comparison, UW Medicine stated, “Youth athletes in traditional football sustain 15 times more head impacts than those in flag.”
Additionally, flag tends to be distinctively more accessible than tackle football. As the sport requires only a flag, instead of expensive pads, helmets, and other gear, it makes it that much easier to get started playing. Furthermore, the field is about half the size of a traditional gridiron, lessening the challenge of finding space to play on.
Finally, flag football encourages diversity and fun exercise you won’t find in most other sports. Thea Harnish, a manager and captain of WSHS’s first girls’ flag football team, stresses, “It’s supposed to be an inclusive and no-barrier sport. It’s something everyone can do and feel good about, as you don’t have to start playing when you were five. So, a challenge we are facing this year is getting that message delivered to more people.”
Despite several roadblocks, I’m so happy to announce that the first West Seattle High School girls’ flag football team is up and running! The team practices everyday after school at the Madison field and they’ve already competed in 4 matches, hitting the halfway mark of their 8-game season taking place at Memorial Stadium.
“The average practice contains our dynamics, ladders, and passing practice. Then we run WR and RB routes, running everyone through QB and center positions. Then we do defensive skills leading to playing 7 v 7 at the end”, states Thea Harnish.
Even though the team has been only functioning for limited time, players are already loving it! Nora Hogan declares, “My favorite part of the flag football season so far has been getting to experience a new sport along with meeting new people. Everyone on the team is so nice and fun to be around, and even if we’re losing, we all have a positive attitude.” Lilly O’Claire affirms, “My favorite part about flag football is really learning more about the sport and getting the opportunity to work with such a supportive team.”
Unfortunately, difficulties have led to the disappointing news that flag football was denied the recognition to become an official sport in Washington state this past May; regional issues happen to be one of the main factors that persuaded this rejection. “The main argument against passing the amendment was concern from school’s east of the mountains about which season they’d play in. While it’s a viable winter sport on the west side, freezing temps and snow on the state’s east side make it more difficult to play in the winter.” And though it’s possible for flag football to sign as a fall/spring sport, there would be too high of a demand for field usage as plenty other sports are occurring during that time.
Though a slight setback, the flag team isn’t going to dwell on the past. “I’m ready to score a lot of touchdowns, create new plays, and do some awesome cellys”, says Lilly O’Claire. “I’m most looking forward to playing more games and hopefully getting some wins, as well as continuing to get closer with the team”, announces Nora Hogan. Thea Harnish expresses, “It’s a developing year so it has been a learning experience for all of us and I am really excited to see it progress more.”
So, what are you waiting for?! Gather some friends and head to Memorial Stadium to support our first girls’ flag football team here at West Seattle High School. It’s history in the making! Side note, make sure to follow the team @wshsflagfootball. Go wildcats!
