"FOOTBALL - It's Not Just a Man's Sport Anymore"
by Stan Goldstein, Head Flag Football Coach, Chiles High School

Oh boy, Springtime in Tallahassee...a time for the sun to awaken from a long winter nap, a time for the gray of winter to give way to the vibrant colors of spring. Sounds of lawn mowers start up again, the laughter of kids playing outdoors fills the air, the sounds of baseball and softball engulf the city. Swimming, sunbathing, gardening, and picnics start to find their way back into peoples lives. But in Tallahassee, these activities take a back seat to the 2nd favorite sporting activity in North Florida, "Spring Football," 2nd only to "Fall Football" in appeal. But wait a minute boys, your show is NOT the only show in town anymore.

The FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) has designated "Girls Flag Football" as a recognized sport. In Tallahassee, Chiles, Godby, Leon, Lincoln, Rickards, & FAMU High Schools will field teams; schools in and around Jacksonville, Daytona, Orlando, Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater, Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Hollywood will do the same. Twenty Districts have been set up throughout the state of Florida. Teams in each district can play up to 12 regular season games. The regular season is followed by a District Tournament, and Regional Final, and culminates in a "Final Eight" tournament to be held in early May in Boca Raton, Florida.

The evolution of this sport began during the 1999-2000 school year as an experimental sport, stemming from the ever controversial Title IX issue of providing equitable opportunities for females in high school sports. It was another avenue of opportunity for girls to proudly represent their schools while participating in an activity that has proven to be very popular amongst the girls, whose only experience with football previously was the annual "Powder Puff" tournament that pitted grade levels within the same school against each other. By comparison to other sports on campus, Girls Flag Football is a relatively inexpensive sport to operate, a fact that made its implementation a little easier to justify during a time period where a tight budget was imperative to the school system.

Not everyone, however, embraced the idea of implementing the activity. Several coaches, county-wide, questioned why the district would implement a sport in which there was no opportunity for scholarship. Some coaches were concerned over having to share athletes with other sports. These coaches worried about the increased possibility of injury for shared athletes. Finding space to practice on an already crowded campus was another concern. Nevertheless, the sport became a reality.

Respect hasn’t always been easy to come by for Flag Football. Many detractors still feel it should be a recreational sport only. Ironically, Flag Football has flourished. At Chiles High School we have approximately 80 to 100 girls try out each year. The administration has supported us 110%, and a number of parents have always been available to help in any way possible. The girls now use football terminology--they understand what it means when they hear expressions like zone coverages, blitzes, post patterns, slants, curls, and options. They have overwhelmingly embraced Flag Football, slowly but surely become true football players. What has remained a constant is their pride in their sport and in their school, and for that I am truly grateful. They have always made me proud of them as they are exemplary students, athletes, and individuals.

My philosophy is to emphasize "FUNDAMENTALS," always keeping in mind the first three letters of the word--because if they are having fun learning and participating, then hard work and dedication are an easy sell, and a degree of success is almost a certainty.