Nike, NFL grant AIA $100K for girls' flag football

Feb. 25—The growth of girls' flag football as an official sanctioned sport in Arizona high schools has been monumental.

What was once a club sport was fast tracked to sanctioned status, which opens the door for more schools to participate and the ability to crown a true state champion at the end of the 2023 fall season — when it kicks off for the first time.

The Arizona Cardinals took notice of efforts from districts like Chandler and Mesa to grow the sport, awarding CUSD $10,000 last year for equipment.

But perhaps the biggest show of support for the sport in Arizona came Friday, Feb. 10 during the NFL Stakeholders Breakfast in downtown Phoenix two days before Super Bowl LVII. It was there AIA Executive Director David Hines was presented a check for $100,000 as part of the girls' flag football product grant from Nike.

"It's just absolutely fantastic," Hines said. "To work with the NFL, the Cardinals, Nike and their support of girls' flag football. They're really invested in this, and we're invested in this, too. It's really going to create opportunities."

The grant comes at a time where schools are mulling options of how to field teams in the fall.

The last official season for girls' flag football as a club sports — which it has operated as for years — kicks off in March. In the fall, however, more teams will participate, and a state tournament will take place to crown a state champion.

But a new sport means new costs. The grant, however, will offset some of that. Hines said as many as 33 schools will have the opportunity to use the money to purchase 25 uniforms.

"We are going to have 33 schools be able to pick their colors, design it for 25 kids, which is absolutely terrific," Hines said. "We'll try to take care of as many schools as we can."

Chandler schools, having been the pioneers of the girls' flag football movement, are already equipped with uniforms. The district also provided All-Star jerseys for the girls during a special game last August in which Cardinals linebacker Markus Golden helped coach.

The Mesa district also reaped some benefits from the Cardinals support. Riczer Desvaristes, the manager of youth and high school football for the Cardinals, was on hand during the Mesa city Tournament along with his team to help crown the champion. Other schools like Xavier and some in the Tempe Union district have already established a girls' flag football team on campus.

Hamilton coach Matt Stone hopes the money will provide opportunities to girls at schools that don't have the same resources as others. His goal from day one was to give every athlete in Arizona an opportunity to play.

"This is the green light the rest of the state needed to know that this is a serious movement," Stone said. "This is not a club sport anymore. Our projected numbers in the years to come are substantial. I think any school that was on the fence, this can help tip them over toward playing next fall."

Like Stone, Casteel coach Rae Black aims to provide opportunities for girls at her school and beyond to play flag football.

She's been one of the leading voices ahead of the charge, promoting the sport around the state. She was in attendance when Nike gifted the money to Hines and the AIA. Soon after, she went up and personally thanked Nike's Matt James.

"It just goes to show how serious Nike is actually taking it," Black said. "They're the ones reaching out and wanting to make friends with us. I think that's awesome for people to support young women's dream as part as playing football for your school."

The growth of girls' flag football has been beneficial for all athletes involved. Thanks to Desvaristes and the Cardinals, Jesus Arzaga's Mountain View team was granted the opportunity to attend NFL Honors, the league's annual awards show, as well the NFL Experience during Super Bowl week at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Arzaga, who also coaches the Toro baseball team, hopes the money from Nike can be used for more than just uniforms for schools in need. He hopes the support will also draw in coaches.

"Maybe get some interest from coaches and girls to want to do it a little more," Arzaga said. "I think the toughest part of being in the fall, or even the spring, is getting coaches involved. Hopefully that money intrigues some of the coaches, gets some girls out and continues to help schools that need it to continue the growth of girls' flag football."

Mesa schools currently await the start of the first-ever season as a sanctioned sport for girls' flag football in the fall. Chandler, meanwhile, along with other districts, will play a spring season beginning in March.

It'll be a dry run of sorts for the real thing, with the AIA providing officials for games. But the excitement level has never been higher.

"We knew there was a lot of support but the amount of engagement of our schools with kids wanting to get involved and kids wanting to get involved, really fast-tracked it," Hines said. "What I look forward to down the line is we add a new division or conferences as we move forward and continue to build."