Raise the flag! Girl’s Flag Football will be made an official high school sport in San Diego next year – NBC 7 San Diego

Girl’s flag football will be a San Diego high school sport for the first time in the 2023-24 school year. The new opportunity for high school athletes comes at a time when the popularity of the sport is skyrocketing.

It is estimated that the number of girls playing flag football nationwide has doubled in the last decade.

The girl flag football boom has been growing for years, particularly in North San Diego County, where one particular league was among the first to see the influx of girls onto the football field.

Ten years ago, Friday Night Lights in the Carlsbad area had about 20 girls playing their flag football league. Around 250 girls now play in the league.

“About 10% of the league is girls playing flag football and it’s fun to watch,” said Paul Publico, co-commissioner of the North County Coastal Friday Night Lights.

It’s fun to watch and it happens at eye level. The games aren’t just about girls versus girls teams, it’s about girls playing with and against boys and playing well at it.

“I’ve seen girls win championships in 5th and 6th grade,” Publico said. “These girls with high ponytails and matching ensembles dominate the boys.”

“Yeah, they come out pigtails and suddenly they’re four touchdowns ahead because they’re so fast and explosive,” said North County Coastal Friday Night Lights co-commissioner Thadd MacNeal.

On a Friday night in May, one girls’ team won 40-0 and another 59-14. Big wins by girls teams are actually pretty common, as are big highlights. All over the fields you see girls flying around, pulling flags, throwing bombs, carrying them to the house and smiling in the end zone.

Of course, touchdowns are preferred, but these girls have a lot of football favorites.

“Pick 6”

“Throw a touchdown.”

“Draw a flag.”

These were some of the girls’ answers when asked what their favorite football game is.

Another common answer to this question was “beat the boys”.

Beating the boys, changing mindsets, breaking down gender barriers – these are topics you often hear from these amazing footballers.

“I like beating the boys and showing that girls, not just boys, can play football and that we can play like them,” said Tagan Thomas, a 7th grade girl.

After a game, eighth-grader Finley said, “It felt really good to score, especially against the kid who was smacking his lips.”

Her teammate Riley added: “The best thing is when you smoke the boys. Their dads get even more upset, so it’s really fun.”

As for the opportunity to play flag football in high school, many of the girls who have developed the sport over the years have found it a meaningful, powerful step forward.

“Honestly, it’s about time we got out there.”

“I think it’s super cool that it’s such a male-led sport that it’s finally accessible to women and it’s going to be super awesome to take it to a new level and inspire younger generations.”

While it’s unclear how many San Diego-area high schools will field teams this first season, expect girls to be playing high school football games around San Diego this fall.