Girls in Tennessee might just be on the brink of flipping the script in the high school sports scene as girls flag football is set to become an officially-sanctioned high school varsity sport in the 2024-25 school year. In a unanimous decision that positions the state as the 10th to sanction the sport, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) has given the green light to girls flag football, as stated by Davidson County Source. The Titans have pitched in over the past few years to promote and support the emergence of this sport, adding to the monumental growth the sport has witnessed.
The TSSAA's Assistant Director Emily Crowell, told WKRN, Williamson County Schools took the initiative as pioneers, with Metro Nashville Schools and Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools soon following suit. According to Crowell, the Titans originally approached with a pilot program to jumpstart girls flag football and are now to looking to expand across the whole state. At its core, the sport features up to 16 games a season where everyone but the quarterback can get their hands on the ball, increasing inclusivity, and reducing risk by substituting tackling with flag pulling.
Student-athletes are already gushing about the new opportunities awaiting them. Page High School's Savannah Meek, interviewed on the WillCo Sports Power Hour and quoted by Williamson Herald, expressed her love for the fun and competitive edge of flag football. As an emerging sport, the TSSAA will spearhead the classification of schools into different groups for a postseason invitational and will require a one-year trial period before considering a state championship, laying the groundwork for a structured expansion of the sport.
Parents and coaches alike share a sense of anticipation as girls flag football finds a foothold in the high school sports landscape. "I was extremely excited because Madison has been excited for flag football since she was at middle school last year," Kimberly Dismukes, mother of freshman player Madison Dismukes, told WKRN.
Meanwhile, Coaches like Page GFFL's Charles Rathbone are rediscovering their zeal for the game. “We came back in the spring with these girls … they’re the reason I’m still coaching because they gave me so much energy and it made it so much more fun,” Rathbone said as reported by Williamson Herald.
With the NCAA also setting its sights on the game and some colleges offering scholarship opportunities, there's a burgeoning sense that by 2028, as Crowell believes, girls flag football is going to be a major athletic enterprise. Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill exudes gratitude towards TSSAA for sanctioning the sport, as it has already fostered exciting competitive high school levels and promises growth across the state, Davidson County Source reports. With the support and partnership of NFL FLAG, Titans aim to further train and guide programs across Tennessee, ensuring that girls' flag football continues its victorious rush down the field.
