Brookwood High School is expanding their sports offerings to include girls’ flag football, as the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) voted to implement flag football as an official high school sport.  The non-contact game has been gaining popularity and the school hopes to increase participation among female students who may not have been interested in traditional football. Brookwood High School is one out of 25 schools in Alabama that will be receiving a grant from NFL’s Atlanta Falcons in order to get the program up and running.

Head Coach Clancy Bryant is excited about the new opportunity, stating, “Flag football has been an incredible opportunity for a whole new group of young ladies to engage in exciting competition and forge lasting friendships with their team. It allows for them to grow both as athletes and as young women.”

While there are challenges associated with starting a new program, Coach Bryant is confident in the team’s potential. “Several of our girls have never really watched football let alone played any organized ball, so teaching them the mental aspect of it is always a challenge when starting a new program. The girls have to work hard to know their roles so that the entire team can be successful. However, I truly believe that this team has a great deal of potential. If we work together and learn quickly, I fully believe that we could compete for a playoff berth in the qualifying tournament. That said, my main goal right now is for these girls to have fun and consistently improve.”

The addition of flag football at Brookwood High reflects a nationwide trend of schools expanding their sports options to diversify their offerings and attract more students to participate. It’s exciting to see more opportunities for students to get involved in athletics!