• Slug: Sports–Women’s Flag Football. 773 words. 
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By Jorden Hampton
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Sierra Smith had a vision to create a women’s flag football league when she first stepped foot on the campus of Arizona State University, but the rising sophomore needed help.

She first reached out to former athletic director Ray Anderson, whose assistant led her to Jason Pappas, the program coordinator for student engagement through sports and special events at ASU. The next month involved meetings and Zoom calls to bring the sport across the goal line of becoming an official club activity. Those discussions involved sorting out details and, with help from her twin sister Sophia, securing local sponsors and vendors.

All of Smith’s hard work and dedication paid off – ASU will open its inaugural season in January 2025 against teams from Conference Carolinas. The Sun Devils will hold a three-day tryout at the ASU Recreation and Sports Fields at Dorsey Lane starting Sept. 3.

“The reason that I wanted to start the women’s college football team at ASU was because we kind of were cut short of our opportunity to play at a collegiate level and to gain collegiate exposure in high school,” Smith, a native of Tampa, Florida, said.

Participation in women’s and girls’ flag football has skyrocketed across the country. Over 499,000 girls aged 6-17 competed in 2023, a 63% increase since 2019, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

In June, Smith held a youth camp in Mesa, which attracted over 100 middle and high school athletes, according to Arizona’s Family. The camp ran the athletes through drills that tested their speed and agility.

Smith played flag football at Hamilton High School on the all-girls team from 2021-2023 and with Club HBHF Arizona from 2023-2024, lining up at wide receiver, defensive back and safety. Her background in track and field helped her stand out on the field and also stay the course when pursuing a mission to provide opportunities for women like herself in Tempe.

“Some challenges that I faced were honestly just people thinking that it would never be like a (flag football) club team or a sport at the university,” Smith said. “I always kind of had a push that this is a fast growing sport.”

Women who have played flag football in the past can continue playing at the collegiate level, with the opportunity allowing athletes to connect with others and play the alternative to a sport dominated by men. Female athletes can showcase their skills and play multiple positions with flag football.

The versatility gives them power in a league of their own.

“This past year, I’ve been playing quarterback for my team, which I really enjoy,” said Rylen Bourguet, who is pursuing a selection for the flag football Olympic team in 2028. “I like being, you know, getting to make the decisions of how the offense runs and getting that leadership role is very important. It’s an honor really to be a quarterback on the team.”

The NFL has also embraced flag football and provided resources to support the sport. The Baltimore Ravens, for example, committed to providing grants this year to 25 public high schools in Montgomery County and 10 public high schools in Baltimore City. The high schools will participate in flag football in the fall and follow a competitive schedule.

Flag football’s popularity traveled to Canton, Ohio, this summer with the NFL Flag Championships. Boys and girls NFL flag regional winners played in a tournament at the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend which was broadcast on ESPN and ABC.

“I think the best, most fun memory I have playing flag football is getting to travel with my team,” Bourguet said. “I got to go to Orlando, Florida, at the Pro Bowl just to play in a tournament hosted by NFL Flag and play in those tournaments and got to meet NFL players and be on the field up at the Pro Bowl halftime.”

High schools in Arizona also have noticed the value in girls flag football. The Arizona Interscholastic Association officially sanctioned the sport in December 2022, and 54 teams from two conferences participated in the first official season last fall.

At the college level, approximately 17 NAIA schools offer women’s flag football, according to NAIA.org. Conference Carolinas was the first NCAA division to sponsor the sport – and its inaugural competition will kick off in 2025.

“We’re incredibly proud of our daughters for following their hearts and starting a collegiate team in a sport they love,” Smith’s mother, Susan Smith, said. “Flag football is growing in popularity across the country and I’m excited to see how ASU makes its mark in the sport.”

For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

Sierra Smith, far right, provides the opportunity to play flag football at the youth level and in college with summer camps and her newly founded club at Arizona State University. (Photo courtesy of Sierra Smith)

ASU Women’s Flag Football Club founder Sierra Smith, middle, holds a youth camp in Mesa in June. Smith’s dedication is instrumental in the Sun Devils beginning their first season in January 2025. (Photo courtesy of Sierra Smith)

 Young girls embrace flag football in Mesa while participating in a youth camp organized by Sierra Smith in June. (Photo courtesy of Sierra Smith)