After an explosive two-year pilot program, girls flag football will be officially recognized as a sport for high school girls this fall.
The decision came about after the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) voted 57-9 on Tuesday to add girls flag football as an officially sanctioned sport, making Colorado the 11th state in the country to do so. It will become the 18th CHSAA-sanctioned sport for girls in the state and the 33rd sport overall.
“The first year we offered it, it was a huge, huge success,” Director of Athletics and Activities for Cherry Creek School District Larry Bull said.
Cherry Creek was one of the first three school districts in the state, along with Denver Public Schools and Jefferson County Public Schools, to offer girls flag football as a pilot program in 2022.
From there, Bull says, the program “just exploded.”
“I think it's just a great day for the state of Colorado to empower our young ladies to participate in flag football and the excitement and getting more kids involved within their school, within their community,” he said. “It's a day to celebrate.”
Athletic directors across the three school districts have called the initiative a resounding success. In the past year, participation in the flag football pilot program grew by 161 percent.
Both pilot seasons were funded and managed by the Denver Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation.
"This is a historic moment for Colorado and most importantly for girls in our state who have a new pathway into sports through flag football," Broncos Owner and Denver Broncos Foundation Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner said in a statement. "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.”
The Foundation says it will support girls flag football as it joins the fall sports lineup through coaching clinics and seasonal programming.
