For folks tired of hearing the inherently exclusionary and patriarchal cliches like “Saturdays are for the boys,” the rapid rise of high school girls’ flag football offers a powerful counterpunch. On the field, the ascension of flag football programs may only be a small step for the girls, but off the field, its impact could very much land as one giant leap for womankind.

High school flag football has been growing at an astronomical rate. According to Brendan Cosgrove’s latest piece for The Morning Brew, the number of girls participating in high school flag football has risen more than six times the total from just four years ago. While football has long been a male-dominated sport, the inclusion of girls’ flag football has literally and metaphorically helped level the playing field. 

Saturdays are no longer just for the boys, as women’s flag football at the collegiate level has also taken off in recent years. Sooner rather than later, sports fans will be hearing of NCAA Champions in flag football and gold medal-winning Olympic flag football teams.

Locally speaking, a plethora of high schools in the Silicon Valley are also doing their part to grow girls’ and women’s sports. In just three short years, all four high schools in the coverage network of this newspaper have added flag football programs. This school year, Fremont joins Santa Clara, MacDonald and Wilcox, who all debuted flag football programs in 2024-25. 

The Voice spoke with coaches and administrators from all four schools, including Bruins Head Flag Football Coach Pedro Martinez, Wilcox Assistant Flag Football Coach Emmit Palacios and MacDonald Athletic Director Brittney Codera to get their thoughts on the recent gargantuan growth in the girls’ game and the difference it can make for girls throughout the country. 

“The rapid growth of girls’ and women’s flag football can have a major impact on American culture,” noted Palacios. “As the sport grows at the high school, college and Olympic levels, it creates more opportunities and recognition for female athletes while helping bring greater equality to women’s sports.” 

“As an athletic director, I see the growth of girls flag football as much bigger than the sport itself,” echoed Codera. “We are giving girls the opportunity to compete, lead and be recognized in a space that hasn’t been equal historically. When we invest in these programs, we give female athletes visibility, resources and opportunities. We are not just changing sports when we do this; we are also changing expectations. Girls should grow up knowing that they belong on the field, and their accomplishments deserve to be celebrated.” 

“I love it,” responded Martinez on how the programs can pave the way for the girls of the next generation. “My daughter goes to the home games and she’s on the sidelines with me. She plays catch with the varsity girls when the JV game is going on and vice versa. She gets to see it played by older girls. It’s great; another female sport that’s added.”

Recent Posts:
Bruins, Condors and Rams Oh My! A Flag Football Fiesta
Santa Clara Flag Football Looking to Make History Again in Year 3