Girls flag football has quickly become one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the nation. In 2016, the Atlanta Falcons embarked on a plan to bring girls flag football to high schools across Georgia because at the time, zero high schools offered the sport. The idea was presented to one of the state’s biggest counties, Gwinnett, and an agreement was reached in the Fall of 2018. Soon after, 19 Gwinnett County high schools helped pilot girls flag football in its inaugural season ending with the first-ever Girls Flag Football Championship held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Due to the success of the pilot season, in 2019, five additional counties agreed to offer girls high school flag football (Cherokee, Forsyth, Henry, Muscogee and Rockdale). In 2020, Georgia became one of only four states (Alaska, Nevada and Florida) to make girls high school flag football an officially sanctioned sport. Over 150 Georgia high schools listed their intent to participate but only 97 schools participated due to COVID-19. In the same year, the first ever GHSA-sanctioned Girls Flag Football Finals were hosted in December and were broadcasted on TV. Out of the four teams that reached the finals, the Atlanta Falcons provided initial program grant funding for three of the teams (Portal, Calvary Day and West Forsyth).
In 2021, Georgia continued to offer girls flag football as an official high school sport with 188 high schools participating with approximately 3,800 girls. In May of 2021, the Atlanta Falcons hosted 10 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) women’s flag football teams across the country for the first-ever NAIA Women’s Flag Football Finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Atlanta Falcons also hosted the NAIA High School Girls Flag Football Showcase that garnered 100+ players from over 30 different high schools from across Georgia at no cost and for a chance to be evaluated by NAIA coaches.
In the 2022 season in Georgia, 228 schools participated, giving approximately 4,600 girls the opportunity to play. Today, the sport continues to grow and the Falcons remain as hands on as ever through their Girls Flag Football Clinic and Coaching Seminars in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The seminars, which are free to attend, are a way for coaches and athletes to come learn from the Atlanta Falcons and NFL FLAG on how to develop a girls flag football team. All athletes that participate in the clinic will learn from flag expert’s skills, drills and the fundamentals of girls flag football.
The first seminar is being hosted on Saturday, April 15 at Fannin County High School. The coaches seminar will run from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., while the flag football clinic will run from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. The second seminar will be held on Saturday, April 22 at Valdosta High School. The coaches seminar will take place from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and the flag football clinic will run from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
To register for either of the seminars, please click the following links to secure your spot!
Saturday, April 15 at Fannin County High School
12 – 3 p.m. – Girls Flag Football Clinic (Athletes)
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Coaches Seminar (Coaches)
Saturday, April 22 at Valdosta High School
12 – 3 p.m. – Girls Flag Football Clinic (Athletes)
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Coaches Seminar (Coaches)
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