On Wednesday, Sept. 17, Archie Williams Athletic Director Jett Russell hosted a lunchtime meeting in the PE classroom to discuss the addition of an Archie Williams girls flag football team. Russell intended to inform prospective athletes about the sport and gauge interest for a 2026 fall season. A handful of ninth to eleventh grade students were in attendance, and Russell concluded that a Falcons team will likely form next year. 

In 2023, the California Interscholastic Federation voted to sanction girls flag football in the state of California. Since then, the Tamalpais Union High School District has developed requirements for coaching, referees, and faculty space, and approved flag football for the district in 2025.

Flag football is a non-contact version of football, the main difference being that instead of physically tackling a player to stop play, a flag attached to the player’s waist must be pulled instead. In contrast to football, the sport is played with a smaller team of seven players, a smaller 30×70 yard field, and emphasizes agility, speed, and teamwork. 

The meeting was a follow-up for those who missed the previous week’s Wednesday lunch session. Archie Williams freshman Cora Saloner, who attended this week’s meeting, is excited to join flag football because of the community. 

“I already know a few people [interested in joining the team], and at the interest meeting, it seemed like there were some pretty cool people there,” Cora said.

The proposed Archie Williams girls flag football team would join the Marin County Athletic League flag football league, with teams from Terra Linda, Novato, San Marin, San Rafael, Redwood, and University High Schools. Since most of these teams were formed just one or two years ago, the addition of an Archie Williams team aligns with the sport’s recent growth.

Archie Williams sophomore and meeting attendee Lila James appreciates how the novelty of the sport will help bring the team closer together. 

“I feel like none of us have really played before, so we’re all kind of going to be at the same starting point. We’ll have more patience for each other [since we won’t] really know what we’re doing out there,” Lila said.

The team is looking for a minimum of twelve players, with hopes for upwards of fifteen. Students who participate would automatically make the varsity team, and although based on the current number of players signed up, cuts are unlikely. Russell has yet to find a coach, and he will have to delay the decision until more details are confirmed.

While most girls attending the meeting were beginners, some had played flag football before, including Archie Williams junior Sam Singer. 

“I actually played flag [football outside of school] a few years ago, and…I had a great time. It’s really fun to watch and it’s just a really fun sport to play,” Sam said.

Flag football is inspiring female student athletes to participate in a historically male-dominated sport. It is becoming increasingly popular and is expected to be played as a sport in the upcoming 2028 Olympics. Additionally, Russell believes having flag football at Archie Williams is important for female student-athlete participation.

“You can see the trend of female student-athletes decreasing in participation as they get older, so anything we can do to keep them active and involved in a sport is a good thing,” Russell said. 

The Archie Williams Athletics Department is working to coordinate practices in preparation for the possibility of an upcoming season. In the meeting, they discussed the potential for weekly open fields after school, which would likely take place on Archie Williams football or baseball fields.