Football has always been a huge part of the school’s culture, with eight state football titles in 10 years. Thanks to KSHAA and the Kansas City Chiefs, girls can now get involved in their own, unique way.
Girls flag football has won 3 of the 4 games they have played as of Sept. 16. is the newest club sport at the school that offers girls, such as sophomore Lyla Cinotto, a way to participate in a traditionally male-dominated sport.
“It’s especially important because boys football is so important here, and it’s important for the girls to have the same thing because you don’t see girls playing on our football team,” Cinotto said.
Junior Kate Mikuls is also a part of the team and loves having another way for girls to get involved in club sports at the school.
“Football is traditionally a male sport, so to have girls playing it, and at this high a level is pretty awesome. It really shows that we can pretty much do anything and we can be great at it too,” Mikuls said.
Flag football coach Sarah Haub was approached by athletics director Brent Bechard to start the club as a pilot program with the hopes of having flag football become an official KSHAA sport in the near future.
“We have a lot of really wonderful girls at the school, and I thought it would be fun for them,” Haub said. “They showed a lot of interest in playing flag [football]. They’re very competitive and very athletic, so I thought it would be fun to be around and coach them.”
Haub believes the flag football team also allows girls to build a community, like any other sport.
“I think it gives girls another outlet to play a sport, have fun, build a community, support each other [and] be competitive,” Haub said. “It’s an enjoyable way to build a community of girls together and give them an outlet and opportunity to play.”
Advisor to the head coach Darion Hillman has already seen the positive effects the team has caused.
“It builds more chemistry within the school,” Hillman said. “A lot of people are meeting people that they have never met before. Anytime you’re in a team atmosphere, you’re learning about challenges and how to overcome them together as a team.”
