The Super Bowl is five days away, and the events leading up to the big game are a celebration of the sport of football.
High school-aged girls who want to play the game have reason to celebrate: flag football will soon become a sanctioned high school sport for girls in Louisiana.
The Louisiana High School Athletic Association's executive committee has given preliminary approval for girls flag football to be a sanctioned sport. According to Louisiana High School Coach's Association director Eric Held, the committee will hold a final vote on the matter in early April. Held says the National Federation of High School Associations, of which the LHSAA is a member, is drafting rules for high school flag football. He says those rules could be published as early as May 2025.
"Girls flag (football) participants in 2022-23: 20,000-plus (participants) in NFHS state associations. A year later, (it was) 42,000-plus--over 100 percent growth."
Ken Marraccoli is the athletic director at the Academy of Our Lady in Marrero. He says the New Orleans Saints were instrumental in creating a 10-school pilot program in which his school participated.
"We need to recognize the New Orleans Saints for their partnership in this," Marraccoli said. "I know they brought in Nike and provided the jerseys and uniforms and everything for the girls."
According to the Saints and the LHSAA, that pilot program has spurred more than 100 schools to start their own girls flag football teams. Marraccoli says his team is an excellent example of the sport's growth.
"We kept everybody (on the team) last year because it was one of those that we were not going to try to make cuts the first year," Marraccoli said. "This year, we had an opportunity to have tryouts. We had over 50 young ladies try out for our team, so now we're making cuts."
Marraccoli says this growth proves that football isn't just a man's sport.
"If you look at even just in the NFL right now, the amount of opportunities for females in the sport is growing--and through the college ranks and all that," Marraccoli said. "Ultimately this is even going to be an Olympic sport coming up soon."
According to Marroccoli, Super Bowl Week is the perfect time for the LHSAA and the Saints to announce that girls flag football will be Louisiana's newest high school sport.
"It's really a plus when all of the eyes are upon the state of Louisiana and football in general, Marraccoli said. "To be able to add the girls to this program is just tremendous."
While the LHSAA executive committee's formal vote won't happen until April, Marroccoli says the AOL team will celebrate by taking part in Super Bowl festivities this week, including a community engagement event at a local park, giving his athletes a taste of the NFL experience.
"The amount of opportunities that our young ladies are getting from being part of this has just been fantastic," Marraccoli said. "We couldn't have asked for a better partner."
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