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Wednesday, May 15, 2024 | 4:50 p.m.
North Allegheny Athletics Dennis Cardone
Members of the 2024 North Allegheny Gold Flag Football Team are, from left, Riley Johnson, Maddie Williams, Natalie Luck, Bria Vivio, Allie Lewis, Maddie Hartung, and Mia Flatt. Shauna Maenza and Kayla Schmidt are also part of the team.
Shaler's Emily Vacasa plays against Hampton in a flag football game on April 14, 2024.
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High school girls flag football took a significant step Wednesday toward becoming an official PIAA-sponsored sport.
The PIAA Board of Directors unanimously approved first reading to sanction girls flag football as a sport.
Girls flag football reached new heights last July, reaching 25 schools across the state. At the start of the spring season, more than 100 schools fielded girls' flag football teams.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, with support from the NFL, have sponsored their local leagues for the past three years to get this effort off the ground.
Last week, Steelers President Art Rooney II sent a letter to PIAA Executive Director Bob Lombardi urging the PIAA Board of Directors to recognize women's flag football as a sport.
“The fact that we have grown to that number (100 schools) in just our third season is a testament to the state's high profile,” the letter said. “Together with the National Football League, NFL Flag, the Philadelphia Eagles and the National Federation of State High School Associations, we have paved the way for the sustainable growth of women's flag football in Pennsylvania. ”
This spring, 36 Western Pennsylvania teams competed in five divisions and played six regular season games.
The championship tournament will be held Sunday at Carnegie Mellon.
“We are extremely grateful to the Board of Directors for their support and for taking this first step toward sanctioning women’s flag football,” PIAA President Frank Majkes said in a statement. “There is much work to be done, but with the support of the Eagles, Steelers and NFL, we are hopeful that we can build a strong foundation for women's flag football that will grow the sport for years to come.” Masu.”
According to the National Federation of High School Associations, nine states have sanctioned girls' flag football.
To date, 103 schools in Pennsylvania sponsor women's flag football, including 65 schools in the eastern part of the state.
Approximately 500,000 girls ages 6 to 17 will play flag football in 2023, an increase of 63% from 2019, according to NFHS President Carissa Niehoff.
The sport was also approved by the International Olympic Committee in October, allowing athletes to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Bill Hartlepp is TribLive's sports editor. The Pittsburgh native and Point Park High School graduate joined TribLive in 2004 to cover high school sports. He held various editorial positions until he assumed his current position in 2019. Contact him at bhartlep@triblive.com.
