Return of Flag Football
by Joey Tsao
For the past three years, our Lady Falcons have fought hard in the regular flag football season, but all three years they have fallen just short of the playoffs. Will they make it this season for the first time ever in our school’s history with a new coach, new strategies, and new players?
This article will dive into the details about our flag football team as they start their season, looking at their mindsets, strategies, and more. You can learn more about this new high school sport and what it is like to be a player, as well as examine the upsides to playing the sport, which I personally think is very beneficial for high schoolers.
Girls flag football is a relatively new high school sport. It received a unanimous vote from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) to become a statewide girls varsity sport on February 3, 2023. A total of 10,832 athletes joined in the first year, but participation didn’t stop there. In the fall of 2024, participation increased by 84% with 9,089 new girls joining. Since then, flag football now ranks as the 6th most-played girls' high school sport in California.
Strategies
To improve from last year’s season, the coaches are trying to focus more on what the team needs. Last year, the Falcons’ defense was one of their strong suits, having one of the best defenses in their league. However, their offense was weaker, which they are now focusing on more. The new flag football coach, Coach Pumba, who was originally a boy’s football coach at our school, has been working hard on helping the team execute various offensive plays during team practice. They have been a success in the games so far this season, and this will hopefully make the team strong enough to carry them to playoffs.
The starting lineup for offense is all seniors. Milan plays center, Elodia plays quarterback, Dani and Genesis play slot receivers, Sophia and Jade play outside receivers, and Daniela plays blocker/running back. The starting lineup for defense is primarily seniors. Senior Daniela, along with senior Sophia and sophomore Jackie, alternate as outside linebackers; seniors Dani, Jade, and Genesis all play safety/corners; junior Gabby plays rusher, while junior Juliette and freshman Aubrie alternate as middle linebacker.
Joining the Team
You do not need to be the best or most experienced flag football player to join the team. A fair number of players on the team had never played football before. What matters most is your mindset. As Dani Tsao, a team captain, explains, “Being willing to try things and fail a lot makes a great player.” Coach Pumba looks for an athlete who is “constantly wanting to improve, both at practice and outside of it.” This highlights the importance of resilience and a growth mindset in flag football and sports in general.
Now, what would your schedule look like as a flag football student-athlete? Since it is a fall sport, they prepare for the season over the summer, usually practicing Mondays - Thursdays from 7:45 - 9:30am before it gets too hot. When the school year starts, they practice after school every day from 4 - 5:30pm and 3:30 - 5pm on Tuesdays. For game days (every Wednesdays for the regular season), they leave school at lunch to catch a bus for an away game or leave around fifth or sixth period to prepare for a home game. All communication between coaches and athletes will happen on SportsYou, which is true for every sports team at our school.
Benefits of the Sport
You will gain a lot from playing flag football. After playing three full years of high school flag football, Dani said she has “become faster, stronger, and overall improved my skills. Specifically, I’ve became a lot more aggressive on defense and on interceptions, especially in these later years.” Beyond just physical skills, “Mentally, this sport has helped me gain my confidence and prepared me for college by making me more comfortable meeting a ton of new people.” Sports are more than just a game; it develops you into a physically and mentally stronger person, which can help set a foundation for your future successes.
I hope you have learned something new about our flag football team and feel motivated to join a high school sport. As Dani says, “You should try any sport that you find interesting and just keep going at it. Even if it’s a sport you’ve never played before, there are some great coaches, and you’ll learn a lot.”
