El Paso high schools are catching football fever, but not in the way you might expect. The first-ever season of female flag football is kicking off with a flourish of community support and jersey pageantry. On Monday, young women from different high schools within the Region 19 area gathered to reveal their team jerseys, a major leap for the sport seeking to gain traction among female athletes.
Speaking at the jersey unveiling, which was akin to a smaller-scale NFL draft day, Frida Perez of Mission Early College expressed her enthusiasm and pride. "I feel so grateful to be here right now in this moment and be here today. For this season, I want to leave a mark for Mission Early College," she said, as per KTSM. Her sentiments were echoed by teammate Benita Estrada, who noted the emotion attached to participating in her "last year" during such a historic event.
The Region 19 Female Flag Football Pilot and Championship stands as a testament to the growing opportunities for female athletes in sports traditionally dominated by males. This initiative, backed by Texas NFL teams and local sports organizations, launches games on April 28, concluding with a championship tournament in late May. Antonio Rodriguez of the El Paso Sports Commission underscored the weight of the moment, saying, "This unveiling is about more than jerseys — it’s about representation, empowerment, and showing these athletes that their hard work is being recognized and celebrated," according to KFOX-TV.
It's not just the community organizations that are throwing their weight behind the league; NFL greats like Bobby Taylor and members of the U.S. Women’s Flag Football Team, such as Ariel Blair and Laneah Bryan, have lent their support, demonstrating a broad base of enthusiasm for the burgeoning sport. As history is made on the football fields of El Paso high schools, it's a reminder to the young athletes and the audience alike that barriers are meant to be broken, or in this case, outmaneuvered on the gridiron. The involvement of sports celebrities was reported by KISS El Paso, adding star power to an already luminescent occasion.
With the inaugural season slated to take place between April 28 to May 15, tentatively ending with championship games thereafter, the communities and schools are rallying behind their teams, ready to cheer on the athletes. The stage is set for these young women to not only compete but to set a new standard for what's possible in high school sports. And with that, ladies, take it to the end zone.
