While still behind sports like basketball, volleyball and softball, girls flag football is starting to take off around the United States. One state in particular is seeing major growth in the sport.
According to a report by The Wichita Eagle, several high schools in the area are fielding teams this fall. That includes Maize High School, which saw 37 players show up for the inaugural season earlier this month.
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The NFL's Kansas City Chiefs are a big reason for the boom, as 11 Kansas City-area high schools competed last year for the first time thanks to a program called Chiefs FLAG. Members of the Kansas City organization approached the Wichita Sports Commission to gauge interest in bringing it to the area.
"It happened really fast," said Maize athletic director Dan Loving. "We had a Zoom call a few weeks later and a couple days later we signed up."
Girls flag football is not a sanctioned sport by the Kansas State High School Athletic Association. The first games are set to take place on September 3.
For the KSHAA to consider girls flag football as a sanctioned sport, it will need to be expanded out past the Kansas City and Wichita areas. The state has a base, though, as Ottawa University has won five straight NAIA national flag football championships.
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