EVERETT — Girls flag football will be the newest varsity sport coming to Everett Public Schools next winter, the school district announced May 9.
It will be the first new new varsity sport to be added in the district since it introduced bowling over two decades ago.
“One of the things that stuck with me the most talking with other schools and kids is the connection a lot of girls feel to this sport,” said Dani Mundell, the district’s athletic director. “This really is kind of America’s sport. Everybody loves football, and there are a lot of girls that love football, maybe as more of a spectator of the sport. Now they get to be a part of it.”
Flag football is a non-contact sport, removing removing the need for tackling and heavy equipment. It’s one of the fastest growing youth sports in the country and its low costs reduce the barriers to participate, a group of schools wrote in a proposed amendment to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Everett High School was among the schools that submitted the proposal.
Sanctioning the sport would “provide more equitable access to the game of football and would meaningfully benefit thousands of girls across the state with interest in the game,” the schools wrote.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association officially sanctioned the sport on April 21. It’s the 15th state to sanction the sport at the high school level, according to the Seattle Seahawks.
For Mundell, she sees the introduction of the sport as an opportunity to provide a new gateway to sports participation for girls across the district.
“They feel like they can be a part of a high school team without having years of experience,” Mundell said Wednesday. “I think it’ll open the doors for a lot of kids who want to be a part of the athletics program, but may feel nervous about trying out for some of the sports.”
Jacob Hiatt, the director of the YMCA of Snohomish County’s flag football program, is also excited about the new varsity sport.
“It gives girls their own lane, their own place to shine,” he said. “What I’ve noticed is the girls tend to take it very serious and compete very well. They’ve kind of owned it as their own sport, which I love seeing.”
Flag football games are set to be played using a unique format. Two fields will be set up side by side on a standard football field, where teams will play from sideline to sideline. It will allow two games to be played at once.
The program will cost about $76,000 to launch, and about $60,000 per year to continue operating, Mundell said.
The flag football season will start in the 2025-26 school year, and will take place during the winter. Programs will be available at all three Everett high schools. All of the teams will play their home games at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
