Girls Flag Football Officially Recognized as High School Sport in Colorado

After an explosive two-year pilot program, girls flag football will be officially recognized as a sport for high school girls this fall in Colorado. The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) voted 57-9 on Tuesday to add girls flag football as an officially sanctioned sport, making Colorado the 11th state in the country to do so.

The decision to recognize girls flag football as a sport came after a successful pilot program in 2022, which saw participation grow by 161 percent. Cherry Creek School District’s Director of Athletics and Activities, Larry Bull, described the program as a “huge, huge success” and noted that it “just exploded” in popularity.

Cherry Creek, along with Denver Public Schools and Jefferson County Public Schools, were among the first school districts in the state to offer girls flag football as a pilot program. Athletic directors across the districts have praised the initiative as a resounding success, with Cherry Creek’s Bull calling it “a great day for the state of Colorado” and a cause for celebration.

The Denver Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation played a key role in funding and managing the pilot program, with Broncos Owner and Denver Broncos Foundation Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner hailing the recognition of girls flag football as a historic moment for Colorado. The Foundation has pledged to support girls flag football as it joins the fall sports lineup through coaching clinics and seasonal programming.

With girls flag football now officially recognized as a sport for high school girls in Colorado, the state is paving the way for more young women to participate in sports and experience the empowerment, inclusion, and teamwork that come with athletic competition.