Players at Wichita Northwest High School enthusiastically ran through flag football drills in the school’s gymnasium due to the summer heat. But being inside didn’t dim the girls’ excitement to compete in their first varsity game.
“I love that we're a part of what's going to be history, because this is the first official year that it's going to be a sport,” said Northwest High senior Jasmine Pena. “I feel like that's just really big, and I'm very excited for it.”
The coaches know their athletes are amped to play, but are trying to focus that energy on learning the playbook for their game against Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School.
“They're excited for sure. We're trying to calm them down a little bit,” Northwest High coach Brooke Collins said with a laugh. “We’re telling them, ‘don't get too ahead of yourself.’ ”
Kansas was one of the first Midwestern states to have its high school sports association sanction girls’ flag football as a varsity sport. Now, teams across the state are preparing for their first games starting this week.
Flag football has been gaining popularity in the United States for the past few years. NFL teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, are supporting efforts to establish high school teams in their states.
Colleges now offer scholarships in the sport, giving high school athletes a path to a post-secondary degree. And for the first time, mens’ and womens’ flag football will be an Olympic sport in 2028.
Jeremy Holaday, assistant executive director of the Kansas State High School Activities Association, said schools in the Kansas City and Wichita area have fielded club teams, similar to an intramural activity, for the past few years.
These teams served as a pilot program, to gauge interest. Last year, there were 24 Kansas girls’ flag football teams, which is the minimum threshold for a sport to become varsity. The association’s board voted overwhelmingly to sanction the sport last April. Several athletes, including some Northwest High players, spoke in favor of the move.
Holaday said it was easy to approve after hearing from the players.
“It made them a better leader, a better communicator, a better person at relationships,” Holaday said, “and made them accountable for their academics, first and foremost.”
Now, in its first official season, the number of Kansas teams has nearly doubled to 49. These athletes get the benefit of playing a varsity sport, which means an official playoff bracket and championship games this October in Wichita.
It also means districts are incentivized to invest more in coaches, uniforms and travel. Beyond that, there’s a certain honor in competing at the varsity level, Holaday said.
“This year, the girls are going to be treated just like the varsity basketball team or the varsity volleyball team,” Holaday said. “They can feel a sense of pride that they're getting the same support and effort from the school and the community as all the rest of them.”
Collins said 35 girls tried out for 24 roster spots this year at Northwest High. She hopes to offer a junior varsity team next year, to accommodate the interest. Her players are eager to jump into a new sport this season.
“Some of the girls grow up around their brothers and always want to play something like this,” Collins said. “This gives them the opportunity to come out, and I mean, they could win a state championship this year.”
Flag football is faster-paced than traditional football, Collins said. At practice, her offense runs through complicated hand-offs, with backs weaving around each other and disguising which one has the ball.
Besides having fewer players on a team, downs are also different in flag football. Instead of having four downs to get ten yards, the 80-yard flag football field is divided into zones. Teams have four downs to get to the next zone, which are 20 yards apart. There are no fumbles or interceptions, either.
It can be a lot to take in for a new athlete, but Collins hopes her players learn more than the game.
“We are out here to win some games, but ultimately to just have fun, learn the game, set the standard for the years to come,” Collins said. “That's really what we're trying to put into play for these girls, is that you're the beginning of something.” ”
Taking a break from practice, the Northwest High players said they’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. They’ve grown up watching football with their families and playing football in the front yard with cousins. Now, it’s their turn to play at a varsity level, and they’re excited to show what they can do.
“I really like that feeling when you step outside, and it's a Wednesday night,” said senior Alola Reilly. “You're on the field, the lights are hitting you and the adrenaline is going. Literally nothing beats it. In the back of your head, you're thinking about how you’re the first person to do this.”
“And then the way that you can focus on the game,” continued senior Bliss White. “Every feeling or emotion that you felt outside the field, you don't have to deal with on the field. Everyone's a team.”
Roger Nomer reports from the Wichita area for the Kansas News Service. You can email him at nomer@kmuw.org.
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