“They've always been told no.”

According to Monique Adams aka "Coach Moe", girls flag football coach at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California, the high school’s newest team has removed a historical barrier for female athletes. “…you can no longer say no to me,” she said. “I'm doing it. And I'm going to show you how well I can do it and what you missed out on because so long you told me no.”

On Feb. 3, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), California's statewide body that governs high school athletics, unanimously voted to add girls flag football as a sanctioned high school sport. The proposal to approve the sport came about due to the exponential rise in its popularity, one that has been fueled primarily by women. The interest in flag football also stems from younger athletes in recreational leagues, and support from California NFL organizations the Los Angeles Rams, the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers.

LA Legends Showcase Video produced by Todd Takeuchi

After a series of approval meetings involving all 88 CIF league representatives and all 10 of the CIF section committees, the first set of games got its official start on Aug. 18. According to Maxpreps, 375 teams registered for girls flag football in the state of California. With the decision to approve the sport, California has joined other states such as Nevada, Alabama and New York to help grow flag football and provide female student-athletes with a new opportunity to compete in high school athletics.

Rob Wigod, commissioner of the CIF Southern Section, said the decision went smoothly.

“There's that famous quote from the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ where the guy says, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ and I think we have seen that happen,” said Wigod. “We have a section of 560 high schools. So at 150 as a starting point in year one, you know, hopefully we're going to see that number continue to go up and then, you know, championships.”

Wigod knows how important it is to promote involvement for high school athletics and what it means to represent your school as a student-athlete.

“It is about community. It's about your school, it's about the pride you have. And… it just makes putting on that jersey a little bit more special,” said Wigod. “I just think that the future is unlimited. I think the ceiling is unlimited. I think we're going to continue to see this thing explode.”

Kristine Palle, CIF senior assistant commissioner, explained that the main problem when discussing the specifications of the sport was figuring out what season the sport would take place.

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“Originally it was proposed for spring, but spring is really heavy with a lot of sports. So it moved to fall because there are a lot less offerings for girls,” Palle said. “You kind of think some of your basketball soccer players would love to play this and maybe some of your track and field or softball players would love to play this. So the fall kind of made it a little bit more sense just in terms of when.”

Palle believes that every kid, no matter their background, should be able to at least have the option of trying something new.

“People need to remember that through school is where all kids have access,” Palle said. “When we offer anything through school, it's so important that we have these things implemented in schools so all kids have the opportunity to have these valuable experiences.”

A local perspective

Mike Leibin, head coach for the Thousand Oaks High Hchool girls flag football team, grew up playing football and then became the head coach for a variety of high school football programs across Southern California.

“When I first heard about it [girls flag football], what I imagined in my mind was it was going to be like when the boys play seven on seven in the summer,” said Leibin. “I've never experienced teaching a sport that literally no one has ever played before on your team. So that part of it has it's a challenge, but it's been a fun challenge.”

CIF In-Game Rules Explainer Video produced by Todd Takeuchi

After receiving interest from a variety of students, and conducting numerous tryouts and practices, Leibin finalized the roster for the Lancers’ first-ever varsity flag football team.

“I think the most influential thing is it's giving them another opportunity to compete,” said Leibin. “It might be opening avenues for athletes that haven't really found their niche yet.”

Shannon Casillas, Thousand Oaks girls flag football team photographer, said there was no doubt her daughter, Morgan Casillas, would pass up the opportunity to play for the Thousand Oaks high school girls flag football team.

“As a parent, I was excited,” Casillas said. “I have two boys and they've both played football and my husband's actually a football coach, so she's kind of been around it her whole life.”

Seeing her daughter go out there and perform each and every game was rewarding for Shannon knowing that Morgan was able to go out and do something she truly enjoys. However, Shannon says she’s a bit concerned about the longevity of the sport.

“I just hope that it just continues,” she said. “I know that there've been a couple girls sports that have come along, like field hockey or lacrosse, and they've kind of just gone away.”

Morgan Casillas, a junior at Thousand Oaks High School, says she enjoyed the ups and downs of the season. From trying out a variety of positions, to figuring out how to bounce back from a loss, Morgan believed in her team and knew the potential that they had. She also knows that there’s a lot more work to be done outside of the field if the sport wants to grow.

Thousand Oaks High School’s wide receiver Morgan Casilllas blows by a defender as she looks to score a touchdown for the Lancer’s offense. (Photo by Shannon Casillas)

“As players, we try to convince our friends to come out and watch, but it’s hard to get people to come to these female sports,” Morgan Casillas said. “I would see a few high school students here and there. But I think most of the people at our school were like, ‘This is kind of lame…like there's just girls playing football.’”

No matter what the turnout was for the Lancers’ flag football games, Morgan Casillas knows that implementing a sport like flag football could lead to a substantial number of new participants.

“It shows kind of like the power of the female,” she said. “It shows how they can be just as athletic and talented as males can be and that they can do just as much as anybody else can. And not just like they just stick to one thing but they can expand it to further experiences.

The leagues that paved the way

In May 2020, schools within the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) started flag football programs in partnership with the NFL, becoming the first collegiate level to offer flag football as a sanctioned college sport.

Amber Clark, head coach for the womens flag football team at the University of Saint Mary, believes that the sport will help the future generations, knowing they have people to look up to.

“In my mindset, I want them to have that representation,” Clark said. “When they look at flag football, I want them to see women, because I didn't have that representation growing up. They need to see women coaching and playing at the highest level so they can dream it and be it as well.”

Clark appreciates the platform she has been given, and wants to continue to help out wherever possible knowing that flag football is starting to be approved by states as an official high school sport.

“I'm very honored to be able to: one, be a part of history, and then also help the girls write history as well,” Clark said.

Along with her job coaching girls flag football at Junipero Serra High School, Monique Adams is also the founder and owner of the Los Angeles Legends organization, a women’s tackle football franchise dedicated to coordinating events and showcases to promote both girls flag football and tackle football.

“It's a lot of emotions, a lot of attitudes, a lot of personalities,” she said of the players. “And you have to have that balance in order for it to really work. But if you watch some of these girls play, they're going to tell you, without saying anything, that ‘I can do this.’”

The National Football League is also pitching in. Angellica Grayson, former manager of football development for the Los Angeles Chargers, said that NFL organizations across the country host regional tournaments for flag football clubs and provide flag football kits for local schools in need of assistance for starting their programs.

“Until all 50 states have this sport sanctioned, we have a lot of work to do,” Grayson said. “The NFL is going to continue to create different initiatives for the sport to grow and continue to talk to colleges and universities about the benefits of starting up a flag football program.”

The future of flag football

As it was just a startup season, there were no playoffs nor state postseason tournaments following the regular season for all CIF sections. The last regular season games for all registered teams took place on Oct. 28. Next season, the CIF committee says it looks to implement the CIF playoff tournament and championships depending on how many schools participate.

Along with the high schools’ efforts to grow the sport, colleges are also looking to take in the sport with NCAA division three schools in the Atlantic East conference announcing their anticipated start date for spring 2025. Clark says the expansion towards more colleges getting involved will boost enthusiasm and awareness among players and fans.

“…playing the sport they love,” she said, “makes other people love it too.”