Some schools will play flag football for girls as a club sport in the spring.
But starting next fall, it will become an Arizona Interscholastic Association sanctioned sport, with the state championship game being played on the same weekend as the boys’ 2A and 3A football championship games.
David Hines, executive director of the AIA, said Monday after the monthly board meeting that girls’ flag soccer has been sanctioned as a sanctions sport, sidestepping its “emerging” sport status.
He expects 30 to 40 schools, mostly from the greater Phoenix area, to play at maybe two games a week in the fall. He said there will be an eight-week schedule with each school playing 14 games before the state playoffs.
“I think that can really grow,” Hines said. “Our girls are very talented and we want to give them every opportunity to show what they can do. We are excited.”
“It’s perfect timing as this marks the 50th anniversary of Title IX,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, the longtime athletic director of Xavier Prep, who is one of the pioneers of girls’ athletics in Arizona high schools.
Sister Lynn said that 130 girls from Xavier showed up at an interest meeting two months ago, held by Xavier Flag football coach Michael Patterson.
There were two clinics, each with more than 50 girls. Patterson, who is involved in the NFL’s girls’ flag football movement, assembled a team to play a practice game at halftime in an Arizona Cardinals game.
“The interest is even greater after we played that seven-minute game with the Cardinals,” said Nurse Lynn.
Only varsity teams are expected to start and then see how it plays out before moving on to freshman and junior varsity teams.
“I think because the NFL is very involved and will be sinking some money to help, they’re going to play in the fall,” Sister Lynn said. “It gives them extra exposure (by playing football at the same time as the boys).”
“I think that’s one of the big advantages for young women, because not every girl becomes a beach volleyball player, a volleyball player, or a cross-country runner. Everyone knows football from AIA, it’s another chance for girls.”
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