Following a successful two-year pilot program, girls flag football will be officially recognized as a sport for high school girls starting this fall. The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) voted 57-9 to add girls flag football as an officially sanctioned sport, making Colorado the 11th state in the country to do so. This decision will make girls flag football the 18th CHSAA-sanctioned sport for girls in the state and the 33rd sport overall.
Cherry Creek School District’s Director of Athletics and Activities, Larry Bull, expressed excitement about the decision, stating that the first year of offering girls flag football was a huge success. Cherry Creek, along with Denver Public Schools and Jefferson County Public Schools, were among the first to offer girls flag football as a pilot program in 2022, which saw tremendous growth and interest.
Athletic directors from the three school districts have labeled the initiative as a resounding success, with a 161 percent increase in participation in the flag football pilot program over the past year. The Denver Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation funded and managed both pilot seasons, contributing to the program’s success.
Broncos Owner and Denver Broncos Foundation Board Chair, Carrie Walton Penner, described the decision to sanction girls flag football as a historic moment for Colorado and a new pathway for girls to engage in sports. The Foundation has pledged to support girls flag football by providing coaching clinics and seasonal programming as it becomes an official part of the fall sports lineup.