INDIANAPOLIS — Eight girls flag football teams from Indianapolis and South Bend were competing inside the Colts practice facility on Saturday afternoon.
The jamboree was a year-end celebration for the inaugural Colts High School Girls Flag Football League.
The Colts and area high schools are working towards making girls flag football a varsity sport.
Ben Davis Head Coach Adonis Dix was there with his team. He says their motto all year has been “don’t lose.”
"I know that can be a little bit drastic to some people, but I want us to make a statement this year," said Dix.
The statement – that girls flag football is here to stay. Ben Davis High School is one of eight schools from Indianapolis and South Bend participating in the league.
"It’s really been a great thing just to watch this happen for the girls and watch them grow," said Dix.
"To see the progression from week one to where we are today in game play has been fantastic to see," said Andy Matis, the Colts Senior Manager for Football Development.
Matis says he is part of the effort to make girls flag football a varsity sport because they saw a need.
"You see other states across the country start sanctioning it on the varsity level. We think girls have the opportunity to play this sport, this sport belongs to them as well. It’s no longer just a male sport," said Matis.
Step one in the process is the first year of this league. Matis says next year they hope to get to emerging sport status and be recognized as a varsity sport by IHSAA.
Matis says they'll be sending out interest forms to athletic directors across the state in the next few weeks.
