Fresh off its recognition as an official sport for high school girls in Colorado, flag football is now on its way to girls in the elementary and middle school age groups in the Denver metro area through a youth sports league.
“This initiative aims to empower girls through sports, fostering a competitive yet supportive environment that will prepare them to play in high school now that girls flag football is a CHSAA sport,” Mark Steinke, president of the Castle Rock-area Raptors Athletics, said in a statement.
CHSAA is the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Years ago, Jeffco Public Schools, Denver Public Schools and Cherry Creek School District started work to offer a pair of girls flag football “pilot” — or startup — seasons in 2022 and 2023 with the hope that the game would become an officially recognized sport, according to CHSAA.
That goal became a reality after the CHSAA Legislative Council voted 57-9 in April to make girls flag football a sanctioned sport starting with the 2024-25 school year.
Now, the sport is filtering down to a program for younger girls. The Arapahoe Youth League — an organization that covers students in Denver, many parts of Arapahoe and Douglas counties, south Jefferson County suburbs, and Elbert County — is offering a free “learn to play” program for girls who want to participate in flag football.
Despite the league’s regular boundaries, flag football is open to girls from around the metro area.
“For this program, we will take everyone regardless of the location,” said Craig Randall, president of Arapahoe Youth League. If sign-up numbers grow large, the organization will seek more field space.
The program will run for three Sundays in September “with the ultimate goal of starting a recreational/competitive league in fall 2025,” Randall said.
The learn-to-play days will be open to girls from elementary through eighth grade, according to the youth league website.
“The three days will be skills and drills, kind of like a football combine,” Steinke said. They could also include practice games.
The program’s location was still to be determined but could take place in Highlands Ranch, Randall said.
It’s slated to run from 8-10 a.m. on Sept. 15, 22 and 29.
Regular registration is open until Sept. 10, according to the website.
More: See the registration page at tinyurl.com/AYLFlagFootballSignup.
This story was updated to reflect an updated registration period for the program.