LEOMINSTER, Mass. — One of the hottest sports these days isn’t being played at Fenway Park or the Boston Garden.
The action takes place on high school fields across the state.
Participation in flag football for girls is exploding.
Jazymne Vazquez, a senior at Leominster High School, takes this game seriously, and loves the opportunity to play it at a competitive level.
“They always said football is not for girls. Everybody always said that before, so I feel flag football gives girls that opportunity to show that they can ball out as well.”
Across Massachusetts, girls are taking advantage of the opportunity to play football.
“The first season we had eight schools that participated,” said Leominster coach Becky Curley. “We grew to just over 20 the second season. Now, I think this season we’re close to 90 schools.”
Curley explained some of the rules are different in flag football, like playing on a shorter field.
“We play 5 v 5 here in Massachusetts. Your quarterback is not eligible to run.”
She continued, “Movements are very different. Instead of running people over per se, you need some agility to make a defender miss you, so there’s a big difference there, but overall, what the girls understand is scoring touchdowns.”
Sophia Freba, a junior, just started playing this year.
“I’ve never played sports that involved catching a ball or anything. And I pretty much caught on pretty fast. And I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”
The Leominster Blue Devils quickly became a powerhouse in the state, having won the first state championship which was played at Gillette Stadium.
“It’s really nice when I get to go to school and hear all the teachers say you guys did amazing. It feels really nice. It does. It’s an accomplishment, definitely,” said junior Hailey Jimenez.
Some graduates of the program are now taking the sport to the next level.
Jaliany Santiago, last year’s MVP, went on to play at Lindsay Wilson University in Kansas.
“She has Puerto Rican heritage, and she tried out for Team Puerto Rico’s National Women’s Team and she made it,” said Coach Curley.
Back on the practice field, sophomore Adalese Romero said the game is super fun and likes that it gives her a healthy outlet.
“It’s really good because on the phone, social media can become a really bad thing and you get addicted, but when you’re playing outside, you’re enjoying nature, running around, and getting fit.”
Building a dynasty is rewarding for Coach Becky, as she is known, but that’s not what really makes her feel like a winner.
It’s giving these young women the tools to move forward in life.
“I think that female athletes, if you look at it statistically, do better in life overall. They know how to deal with adversity. They know how to deal with losses and move on. And I think it’s really important females learn those lessons, and I know they’re getting that here through flag football.”
Flag football is on a roll outside Massachusetts.
It will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 summer games in Los Angeles.
In Leominster, the sport has become so popular they now field two varsity teams.
The New England Patriots Foundation has been a big supporter of the program in this area.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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