June 17th, 2009

Massey, the current athletic director at Boca Raton High School in southern Florida, is credited with launching the sport. He began with nothing but a Florida Parks and Recreation rulebook and a handful of interested schools. As Russell Wambles, another athletic director in the area puts it, Massey “is flag football.”

“I used to play years ago and there was a real call for gender equity about 10 years ago,” says Massey. “So we surveyed the girls and that's what they wanted." It’s not surprising that a sport like flag football would pique girls’ interest. After all, lacrosse, another sport with a fast pace and frequent contact, is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation among girls. In Florida at least, flag football has certainly followed suit.

The program that Massey began in 1998 with 40 schools is flourishing today, having burgeoned to include over 150 schools and over 4,000 female athletes. Along the way in 2003, the Florida High School Athletic Association decided to officially recognize it and begin holding state championships. “There has been a tremendous improvement in the skill level of these girls,” Massey states proudly. “They are a lot more interested in honing their skills. We started off as a novelty, but the sport has gained a lot of legitimacy recently.” The sport’s future looks brighter than ever now, with the NFL stepping in to lend a hand in other states’ school districts.