A Tuesday vote by the Colorado High School Activities Association sanctioned girls flag football as an official sport.
Passing by a vote of 57-9 with five abstentions, there will be two classifications this fall for girls flag football. It is CHSAA’s 27th sanctioned sport. After a highly successful pilot program in the past two years, CHSAA set the sport in stone.
Colorado joins Tennessee, New York, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Illinois, California, Alaska and Alabama as states to sanction girls flag football.
Several area schools have developed flag football pilot programs, including Valor Christian, Arvada West, Cherry Creek, Legend, Mountain Vista, Elizabeth and more.
Last October, Arvada West defeated Cherry Creek 34-14 in the final of the 16-team state championship tournament. The Wildcats finished the season with a perfect 25-0 record.
Area coaches are big advocates for the sport.
“It’s fun for the girls to make some new friends, play a game that they’ve always just had to watch,” said Darren Pitzner, the coach for the Legend High School girls’ team. “For me growing up, I was always drawing up plays in the dirt and developed a love for the game that way. The girls have made a lot of friends, a ton of smiles and a ton of highlights.”
The sport received funding from the Denver Broncos during the pilot period.
“In addition to providing an amazing platform for empowerment, inclusion and teamwork, girls flag creates a powerful sense of belonging and community for our next generation of leaders,” Broncos Owner Carrie Walton Penner said in a statement.
Though last year’s postseason was held at the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse at the Denver Broncos’ Center Health Training Center, future postseason details for 5A and 4A will need to be determined.
A girls flag football committee will also be formed soon by CHSAA.
This story will be updated as more details are released.