The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) has officially sanctioned girls flag football as a sport, making Colorado the 11th state to do so. The inaugural season will take place this fall.
The decision follows a successful two-year pilot program supported by the Denver Broncos and CHSAA. Participation in the program has grown by over 150% since its launch in 2021, with 50 schools from 10 districts offering the sport.
The Legislative Council voted 57-9 in favor of sanctioning the sport, with five abstentions. Girls’ flag football becomes the 14th fall activity and the 18th girls’ sport officially recognized by CHSAA.
The Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation have been heavily involved in the development of girls’ flag football in Colorado, funding and operating the pilot program for the past three years. They were also responsible for scheduling games and writing the rule book.
A study conducted by the group found that among the 1,316 participants in the pilot program, almost 75% had never played flag football before joining their high school team. More than half of the participants stated that they would not have participated in another fall sport if flag football had not been available.
Chatfield High School was one of the schools that participated in the pilot program and won the championship in 2022. Running back Caitlin Dennis believes that having flag football as a high school option will encourage more girls to participate in sports.
“Having this as a high school option, I think, really helps especially show like the younger girls that they can play this because I’m also a youth flag referee,” Dennis said. “So those girls seeing someone older playing this sport, I think really gives them to the drive to continue to high school sports.”
The addition of girls’ flag football to CHSAA’s sanctioned sports is a significant step forward for the sport and for female athletes in Colorado.
