Atlanta Falcons bringing girls flag football to 42 Georgia high schools
Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons
ATLANTA - The Atlanta Falcons have announced that 42 high schools across Georgia will receive grants from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation to establish girls' flag football programs.
The Falcons are hosting the Atlanta Falcons High School Showcase in partnership with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The event will feature the Women's Flag Finals Championship Game on May 9-10 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The showcase will provide 200 young women the chance to demonstrate their skills in front of NAIA, NJCAA coaches, and NCAA representatives, potentially opening doors to collegiate-level play.
In 2018, the Falcons launched a pilot program for girls' flag football with 19 high schools in Gwinnett County. The goal was to give young women more opportunities to participate in the sport. The program's success led the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) to officially recognize girls' flag football as a high school sport in December 2019, making Georgia the fourth state to do so.
Since then, 265 high schools across Georgia have included girls' flag football in their athletic programs. This initiative has allowed numerous student-athletes to pursue their passion and explore collegiate opportunities.
In addition to Georgia, the Falcons announced that the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation will provide grants to 20 high schools in Alabama and 12 in Montana to establish similar programs. This expansion aims to empower more young women through the sport and provide them with a pathway to success.