As spring commences and students flood the field for practice, a new sport enters the fray. For the first time in history, FHS added girls’ flag football to its roster of spring sports. Flag football is an ever-growing sport, and coach Nicole Randolph has seen it firsthand.
“I have officiated flag football from the youth all the way to the national level for the last eight years, so to see it come to the state of Michigan and FHS is very exciting because there are so many opportunities for these young ladies, not just to play, but take flag [football] to another level,” Randolph said.
Flag football has the same rules as American football, except it’s a non-contact sport that focuses more on other aspects. It aims to create a safer and more accessible version of American football.
“The sport is faster,” Randolph said. “It uses a lot more agility and finesse. You’ll see a lot of athleticism from the participants, and it really gives coaches a chance to show how well they can coach the passing game.”
With spring coming by in a flash, the team has been practicing at a rapid pace to get ready for their first season. The team had to start from the bottom, with this being the first time they have ever played flag football.
“It’s amazing,” junior Autumn Williams said. “I’m really impressed with how our team is working. We’re working so quickly because we’re all learning at once and we’re all learning together.”
Along with the speedy training, the team has harbored a receptive atmosphere.
“I feel like we’ve grown closer together; we can actually communicate so much easier,” Williams said. “There’s no drama, no issues, and we understand what each person needs.”
Williams feels the addition of flag football is momentous even outside of FHS.
“I think it’s important because we’re growing women’s sports in general and it’s becoming such a huge sport,” Williams said. “Because we’re the first ever team, we’re really proving that girls can play sports [and that] girls can play football.”
