With strong support from Minnesota Vikings,
51 girls flag football teams set to take the field this spring
by Mike Sonntag, Let’s Play Football Publisher
The moment has not gone unnoticed by Enja Francois-Saint-Cyr, a Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (W-E-M) senior track and field runner and now flag football player.
“I grew up in a football family, and it was always about how my dad played football, my two brothers played it, now it’s my turn,” she said.
Francois-Saint-Cyr was joined by fellow W-E-M seniors Clara Nuetzman, Lilly Henson, and Loryn Caldwell at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center (Home of the Minnesota Vikings) along with 50 other participating schools for Media Day on Sunday March 30 to talk about the upcoming Minnesota High School Girls Flag Football League set to kick off later in April.
During the event the teams went through different training and filming sessions to tout the sport. Current Minnesota Vikings’ players Harrison Phillips and CJ Ham were also on hand and spent time addressing the group of athletes to talk about their experiences playing football.
Though the Minnesota Vikings helped organize a group of four high school teams last year to give a trial run of sorts to the idea of a girls flag league, the level of excitement and interest was on full display at the TCO Performance Center.
“Last year we had a small league and each team played each other four to five times.” Rosemount head boys’ football and girls’ flag football coach Jeff Erdmann said. “It was a great experience to see how it works, make it as efficient as possible, while recognizing most of these female athletes are multi-sport athletes and what it takes to accommodate that.”
Since it is not yet a sanctioned high school sport with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), the girls flag league must work around the schedules of existing sports to create this opportunity.
“Our goal this season was 32 teams and we are at 51. We believe we can get this to two divisions of 64 (128 teams) next year.” Erdmann said.
Flag football is played with five players on each side of the ball. Points are scored by touchdown (6 points) then earn 1 extra point by attempting a pass from the 5-yard line, or 2 extra points attempting a run or pass from the 10-yard line. A 2-point safety can be earned when a ball carrier is declared down in her own end zone. The offense consists of a center, who remains an eligible receiver, quarterback, and three eligible backs or receivers. The defense consists of a blitzers who must line up 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage, and rushers who can cross the line of scrimmage when there is a hand off. The field dimensions are 25 x 70 with two 10-yard end zones and a 50-yard field of play. Games last 40 minutes of continuous clock with two 20-minute halves. A pro-clock will be used for the last 2 minutes of both halves with stoppages very similar to the pro game. The complete rule book can be found in the Minnesota High School Girls Flag League Rulebook.
The development of girls’ flag football has been fast-moving for all teams involved.
“We had our initial meeting before winter break and I was blown away by the interest.” Big Lake Head Coach Nick Shriver said. “We had 81 girls who attended that meeting and we have been holding practices twice a week at 6 a.m. teaching fundamentals and terminology of the sport.”
Shriver pointed out the flexibility of the schedule with games being played on Sundays makes for a fun and diverse group of players.
“We have girls who run track, play softball, and participate in theater,” he said.
While some girls played flag football growing up, others never thought their experience in football would go beyond watching the game on television. Piper Larson (who also runs track) from Eagan and Mackenzie Gleason (a lacrosse player) from Benilde-St. Margarets both played organized flag football in youth athletics and shared a common experience.
The sport kicked off with four teams organized by the Minnesota Vikings who played last summer at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF Minnesota Vikings“I played flag football in middle school, but I had to play it with the boys.” Larson said. “I’m excited to get to play it with my friends.” Gleason took her experience a little further, “I had to play with the boys and it wasn’t very fun.”
Gleason’s classmate Greta Donohoo (a track runner) is excited to be more than just a fan.
“I enjoy watching Vikings games on Sundays and I really like going to the high school games on Friday night in the fall, it is really special to be a part of it.” Donohoo said.
From coaches, to players, to current Vikings players the common theme is what this opportunity means to the future of the sport.
“These girls here today are opening doors for the rest of the girls.” Benilde-St. Margarets coach Joe Creer said. “They are so excited it’s all they are talking about at school.”
Erdmann who has worked with the Minnesota Vikings on the girls’ flag football initiative from the beginning cannot credit the organization enough for their support.
“They have been a blast to work with, and above that they are genuine. Generations of female athletes are going to play flag football because of this.” Erdmann said.
Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Harrison Phillips is excited to see the sport of football grow through girls’ flag football. He offered this advice to the current players and girls who might be considering playing flag football.
Harrison Phillips talks to dozens of energetic flag football players who are ready to kick off their inaugural high school season April 27. LPF PHOTO BY MIKE SONNTAG“Keep being on the front lines and keep trying to grow the sport. These young women are going to apply for colleges and fortune 500 companies down the road and those people are going to be very interested in what they accomplished with this sport,” Phillips said.
The Minnesota High School Girls Flag Football League will begin a four-week regular season starting April 27th, followed by a condensed playoff format culminating in a state championship tournament at TCO Stadium on June 9th.
Girls of any age or ability are encouraged to reach out to their school administrators to help form a team. Lilly Henson’s (from W-E-M) message to girl’s considering playing: “There is no pressure and it’s going to be so much fun.”
Piper Larson knows the sport is growing and goes beyond high school. “I am excited flag football is going to be an Olympic sport in 2028.”
Who knows, maybe some of these pioneers of the sport will play for the red, white, and blue?
Whatever the outcome, their time certainly is now.