High school girls’ flag football showcased at Panthers-Jets preseason game
The pros weren’t the only football players at Saturday’s preseason game between the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium.
Women and girls from USA Football and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools flag teams were on hand, representing the sport and showcasing its growing popularity. National team players and North Carolina natives Madison Fulford and Amber Clark led youth players out of the tunnel pregame and during a halftime exhibition game.
The Panthers aided CMS athletics in founding the girls’ high school league, which began in 2022. The 2023 season finished in May with 24 teams from 19 schools involved, and a middle school league is in the works in collaboration between CMS athletics and Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation.
“The next great opportunity for growth is giving girls access to play the sport, and so through girls’ flag football, we are really championing that cause and that opportunity,” Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields said. “Our ultimate objective is to see girls’ high school flag football sanctioned as a varsity sport in both North and South Carolina.”
Fulford wishes she had the opportunity to play youth flag football, but she is optimistic about the sport’s growth and the chances it’s giving young girls to develop their skills at an earlier age.
“They don’t know how lucky they are,” Fulford said. “The fact that they’re able to get these skills at such a young level, they’ll be even better than us when they get there.”
The appearance by Fulford and Clark at the Panthers’ preseason game comes after both the women’s and men’s national teams visited Charlotte in early July for the Americas Continental Flag Football Championship.
Tournaments and appearances like Saturday’s at the Panthers game are vital in spreading awareness of the sport, pushing it toward a potential Olympic berth in Los Angeles in 2028.
Flag football is one of nine sports under consideration by the International Olympic Committee to make its debut in the 2028 Games, a decision to be made in October. Global participation numbers close to 20 million in more than 100 countries are encouraging, and 1.6 million more youth are playing flag football in the U.S. than tackle.
Considering the younger generation, Clark and Fulford are reminded of times when they first picked up the football. Now, they interact with girls who compete on a regular basis, experiencing the growth of the game in its purest form.
“It’s always good to see the young girls play because it brings back the child-like manner to the game,” Clark said. “It makes you remember why you started playing and remember to always have fun.”
