The first year of girls flag football in Frederick County was a success, and the program will expand to high schools across Maryland in 2024 with the help of two sponsors.
The first year of girls flag football in Frederick County was a success, and the program will be expanded to high schools across Maryland in 2024 with the help of two sponsors.
The program was implemented in 10 schools in Frederick County last year and is expanding to Baltimore, Montgomery and Washington counties.
Sportswear company Under Armor and the Baltimore Ravens are providing the custom uniforms and funding coaching allowances, travel, prize money and other costs to make it happen.
Under Armor Director Trey Evans said the company hopes the partnership will help build confidence in female student-athletes.
“Sports plays an important role in helping young women develop into future leaders and giving them the courage to meet life's challenges head-on,” Evans said in a news release.
A total of 280 Frederick County girls participated in the sport's eight-week season in 2023, which ended in a heart-wrenching result with Middletown defeating Urbana in three overtimes to win the championship. Many Ravens players also attended the championship event.
Brad Downs, Ravens senior vice president of marketing, outlined how successful the initiative was last year and said the team's ultimate goal is to make girls flag football a state-sanctioned sport.
“Participating schools are pioneering meaningful programs that form a more inclusive version of our sport and help enrich the lives of many female student-athletes,” Downs said. . “The interest and growth in women's flag football brings us great pride and we feel a great responsibility to continue to grow this program across Maryland.”
In 2024, 51 more schools across Maryland will participate in girls flag football, including all 25 public high schools in Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Systemwide Athletics Director Jeff Sullivan highlighted in a release how this will help the county provide more opportunities for student-athletes.
“We are committed to providing additional participation opportunities for student-athletes in Montgomery County Public Schools and are excited to be a part of the expansion of women’s flag football,” Sullivan said. “This initiative aligns directly with RAISE’s core values of equity, access and active competition, and will be the springboard to a county-wide Girls Flag success.”
Women's flag football is growing in popularity across the United States and is scheduled to be included in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
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