With Bucs’ Help, Girls Flag Football Continues To Boom

Over the last decade, the growth of girls flag football has continued to accelerate. At the high school, collegiate, national and international levels, more and more athletes are getting a chance to play the great game of football. Just recently, flag football was added to the slate for the 2028 Summer Olympics, marking a giant leap forward for the game and its athletes.

Bucs director of rehabilitation and performance Maral Javadifar – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

While there’s still more room to grow, the type of growth that the game has seen in such a short amount of time wouldn’t have been possible without the help of some important people and organizations.

Over the years, the Bucs have been one of those organizations. They’ve long led the charge for women in football, and being the first team to employ two full-time female assistant coaches is just one example. What they’ve continued to do for the game of girls flag football is another, and last week was a  significant one on that front.

To kick off the week, the organization hosted an event called “Flag Football on the International Stage: The Pathway to Becoming an Olympian” at Raymond James Stadium. USA Football’s Scott Hallenback and Eric Mayes were part of the panel, as was U.S. Women’s National Team quarterback Vanita Crouch, Dasha Smith from the league office and Izell Reese from NFL Flag.

Kicking off our sixth annual Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic with more than 1,500 of our favorite athletes 💪@AdventHealth | @usnikefootball pic.twitter.com/d5EMPSU1SS

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation (@BucsFoundation) February 15, 2024

Bucs Are Proud Of Their Role In The Growth Of Girls Flag Football

Bucs co-chair Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs owner/president Darcie Glazer Kassewitz joined NFL Network’s Good Morning Football last week to discuss the event and give her thoughts on the growth of flag football — as well as the Bucs’ role in it.

“It’s a great thing for flag,” Glazer Kassewitz said. “It creates greater visibility globally. Flag is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. I think over the past five years, it’s grown about 63% for girls flag and this creates so many more opportunities for all kids who play flag, but especially for girls.”

That event was just the kickoff of a big week for girls flag football and the Bucs, as the organization hosted its sixth annual Girls Flag Football Preseason Classic over the weekend.

The largest girls flag football tournament in the country hosted over 100 teams from 18 counties throughout the state of Florida at the Ed Radice Sports Complex in North Tampa. The tournament included two local powerhouses — eight-time state champion Robinson and three-time state champion Alonso — and continues to be a marquee event for the sport.

“The Buccaneers’ support has been phenomenal. It has helped legitimize the sport, especially in the Bay Area,” Robinson head coach Joshua Saunders told Pewter Report. “It’s no wonder why Tampa is the premier area for flag football in the state.

“It’s not just the preseason event, it’s the scholarship, the coach of the week, the activations around middle schools, and the countless other things that they are doing to promote the game. Now with the FHSAA State Finals being at the Advent Health Training Center, it takes it to the next level. Coaches are so grateful for what they have done for the sport.”

Robinson and Alonso have long been powers in Florida, but the growth of the game has meant the growth of programs all throughout the state — and increased participation in the preseason tournament.

“There’s year over year growth in participation,” Glazer Kassewitz said. “This is just a sport that’s booming right now. And last night, we announced at our opening night that we’re gonna host the girls flag state championships, so now the season will begin and end with the support of the Buccaneers. And we’re just so happy to be there to support all the girls.”

“To see thousands of girls playing, it’s phenomenal for both men and women who are watching the sport.”

📽️: @gmfb pic.twitter.com/tymyDUYU5c

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 14, 2024

The organization hosted regional playoff games in 2023, but serving as the host for the 2024 Girls Flag Football State Championships at the AdventHealth Training Center is the next step up. The 1A and 2A semifinal and championship title games will take place over the course of May 10-11.

The events the Bucs have hosted and will continue to host aren’t the only facet of their support, either. Earlier this month in celebration of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, they launched their fifth annual Girls in Football Scholarship, which is open to candidates throughout the country. So far, Glazer Kassewitz said, the scholarship has impacted 16 women who play football and have an interest in a career in sports.

And the work continues for the Bucs. The organization will continue to highlight the sport on its social media channels, and Glazer Kassewitz said they’re starting a dedicated Instagram account — @buccaneersflag — as part of that effort.

The sport will continue to expand (and it already is, with more states beginning to recognize it as a state championship sport), then it will take center stage when the Summer Olympics come to the U.S. in 2028. When that happens, the Bucs can and should feel good about the support they’ve given to grow the game.

There’s just something about this game 🏈 pic.twitter.com/g3zJJnMlBo

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation (@BucsFoundation) February 17, 2024

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