Girls flag football is now a sanctioned sport by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, becoming the first new WIAA sport since girls bowling was added in 1999.
The proposed amendment to make girls flag football a sanctioned sport received 22 of 35 votes (62.9%) from the WIAA Representative Assembly, exceeding the 60% threshold needed to pass.
One year ago, a proposal to make girls flag football a sanctioned sport failed (26 in support and 27 opposed).
WIAA executive director Mick Hoffman was happy to see the state become the 15th to officially sanction flag football (not including Louisiana, which earlier this month sanctioned a pilot program with a path to becoming a sanctioned sport).
“Anytime we give kids more opportunity, we want to do that, and specifically for our female athletes,” Hoffman said.
This past winter, there were six girls flag football leagues, including the Metro League.
The Seattle Seahawks have been big supporters of high school girls football, saying on their website that they have donated “more than $381,000 in grant funding to help launch more than 100 girls flag high school teams across Washington.”
“The Seahawks are thrilled with the announcement by the WIAA,” Chuck Arnold, president of the Seahawks and First & Goal Inc., said in a statement. “This is a historic moment for our state and an exciting milestone for all the girls flag athletes in our region who now have the opportunity to play at the highest level.”
The Seahawks have also announced another $200,000 commitment of grant awards for 2025.
Leagues can choose which season they want to hold a girls flag football regular season. SI.com reported that WIAA assistant executive director Andy Barnes said Monday that girls flag football will be a spring state championship.
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