Girls flag football sanctioned: What it means for athletes, coaches

Hazen student reporter McKenzie Tonnon takes an inside look at reaction to the news.

By McKenzie Tonnon For the Reporter • April 24, 2025 1:30 am
Ben Ray / The Reporter Alison Frank makes a catch and runs the ball upfield for Liberty High School.
Ben Ray / The Reporter Alison Frank makes a catch and runs the ball upfield for Liberty High School.

On April 21, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced ground-breaking news for female high school athletes: girls flag football is now officially a sanctioned sport.

“With the sport officially sanctioned as of August 1, female student athletes will have a new opportunity, if their school offers the program, to take part in a healthy, organized activity and competition,” says the WIAA in a press release.

The fight for girls flag football to be represented in the state is not something new. Washington’s very own Seattle Seahawks have been huge supporters of flag football, through providing grant funds, hosting multiple championship tournaments, and even constructing a wall at Lumen field titled “The Future of Football is Female,” which represents each girls flag football team by a flag on the wall.

“This is a historic moment for our state and an exciting milestone for all the girls flag athletes in our region who now have the opportunity to play at the highest level,” Chuck Arnold, President of the Seahawks and First and Goal Inc., said in an interview with the Seattle Seahawks.

Flag football is forging friendships, producing passion, and giving girls the chance to play and compete in a sport that they love.

“I was pretty excited because I think that it’ll help grow the sport so more people can do it, and will get access to more resources like a trainer,” said Gorav Singh, Hazen High School’s flag football coach. During this past season, Hazen High School had no access to a trainer, but with the sport now being officially sanctioned, there is hope for a change in accessibility and resources.

Junior Brecken Harris, who played in the first season of the Hazen’s girls flag football team, was elated about the news.

“I’m really happy about it becoming a sanctioned sport. It makes me really excited to be a part of something so new,” Harris said. “We needed it to become sanctioned, not only so that people view it as an actual sport, but also because it would be amazing to have access to the sports med trainers that other sports have the privilege of having.”

She continued to share about her experience with the sport: “I came into flag football not knowing a single thing about it. I only joined because other girls from soccer had. Flag football has not only given me a new group of teammates to trust, but also more confidence and a new perspective on what I and others are capable of.”

Quickly growing, flag football is taking over Washington by storm. Eighty-three high schools in Washington, 22 in the KingCo Athletic Conference, and nearly 60 colleges and universities all throughout NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA offer flag football as a possible sport. With this new decision to sanction the sport, athletes are now able to find new opportunities. They are able to hope, dream and throw themselves into the future of flag football.

The future for flag football is bright and glowing, and so are the dreams of athletes. “Flag football is something that I want to get better at, something that I hope I can continue to do in college. Now, with it being a WIAA-sanctioned sport, it gives me a better chance,” said Harris.