High school girls' flag football: Students, coaches share excitement, talk impact of newly sanctioned sport
CHESTER COUNTY, Pa. - Natalie Dodd’s first collegiate touchdown as quarterback for Immaculata University’s flag football team, was also the first touchdown scored in the inaugural NCAA season for Women’s Varsity Flag Football.
"We were just so happy, not even just because I scored but because it was the first. We hosted the first and we get to say we scored the first," says Dodd.
While flag football was new to college sports, it wasn’t to Dodd, who played competitively at Archbishop Ryan High School, in Northeast Philly, when it was introduced three years ago.
"My junior year of high school they added it to my high school. I was like might as well take the chance because it’s never been around before. So, that just made me start playing. I loved it and I kept playing," says Dodd.
Many other girls are also finding that love for the game.
High school girls' flag football now officially sanctioned sport in Pennsylvania
Girls’ high school flag football has been officially sanctioned as a sport in Pennsylvania.
That’s the reason Michael Reimel’s groups, Flag Football Life and We Run the World Flag, which provides boys and girls of all ages the chance to play in flag football leagues and tournaments across the country, has taken off.
"A lot of the girls have brothers who’ve played so, this is their opportunity to go out, play and show that they can play just as good as the boys. It’s just a fun atmosphere. Football is a brotherhood for boys and a sisterhood for girls," says Reimel.
Just like the boys, the girls will be able to do it on an even more competitive level during high school.
The PIAA officially announced that girls flag football will be a sanctioned high school sport in 2025.
"The NFHS did a study from 2019 until now, they’ve seen a 63 percent increase in participation so, there is over half a million athletes across the country that are competing in girls flag football," says Lyndsay Barna, the Assistant Executive Director of PIAA.
Exciting growth for many in the flag football community.
"So now girls can play from five-years-old and continue it all the way out through college. Every high school that gets sanctioned is awesome and it’s going to grow the sport," says Reimel.
"I’m still friends with girls in high school that play on the team so, I’m happy for them to get that opportunity to have it as an official sport for them. Knowing it’s just going to keep growing because of that, it’s really cool," says Dodd.
PIAA says this is all brand new so they’ll be working to get coaches, referees, an official rule book, determining the length of the season and whether it will be in the fall or spring.