In mid-October of 2023, girls’ flag football was approved as one of the five new additions to the 2028 Olympic Games. The 2023-24 school year also marked the beginning of girls’ flag football being added as an official high school sport for schools around the U.S.
Not many girls play football, and in many places, a girl cannot be a part of a boy’s football team, so flag football has grown in popularity in recent years, making female athletes feel more included.
“I think it feels good because I feel like when you think of football like you think of boys and it’s like, you know, girls can do it too,” said Amador Valley Flag Football player Lili Bautista (‘26).
Amador Valley’s flag football players feel that the new inclusion of their sport will continue to make others take the sport and the athletes as individuals more seriously.
“I think it means that it is taken more seriously now and people will take us more seriously,” said Amador Valley Flag Football player Eliana Caro (‘26).
Being a part of the sport has influenced and inspired players by proving to many that football is not just for boys, it is for everyone, girls and boys.
“I feel like it’s influenced it in a good way. I feel like you don’t hear a lot of girls say oh, I play flag football,” said Bautista (‘26).
The new fall sport has kept athletes in shape and taught them good teamwork for the other sports they play.
“It’s kept me in good shape for my other sports and it has taught me teamwork,” said Caro (‘26).
Senior night was especially special for some players who got to see their siblings and friends walk across the stage and say goodbye to a sport and team they cherished.
“Some memorable moments are the senior night because my sister’s a senior so it was fun to see her like you know her,” said Caro (‘26).
