Raising their Flag
Meet four flag football officials from Colorado
I'm so glad I quit cross country for this. It's so much fun.
Flag football is a booming sport across the U.S. Women have played the sport since the 1970s, but thanks to a boost from NFL Flag, it is currently the “fastest-growing emerging high school sport in the country " for girls. Thirty-one state high school associations have either sanctioned (12) or are piloting (19) flag programs.
The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) got into the action by sanctioning the sport for girls this fall. It was a welcome addition to the female athletic landscape, not only for the athletes but for coaches and officials who want to be a part of something special. I interviewed four women who took the plunge into adjudicating this exciting game: Brooke Schwartz, Nichole Tiggs, Lisa Conley, and Amy Rask.
What is it like to officiate a "new" sport?
Brooke: Interesting. We all knew it would be somewhat chaotic with everyone being new to flag, and knowing the rules would take some time learning and getting used to.
Nichole: It has been fun, challenging, and rewarding. The fun and rewarding parts were seeing these girls battle it out each week and hearing some of their excitement about participating in flag football.
Amy: My experience has been a bit different from most, as I had previous experience officiating and training flag football officials before this season. As far as the on-field experience, it’s been wonderful to see the quality of play drastically improve from the 1st half to the 2nd half of the season. There is so much noticeable growth even in a short period, which is exciting to see.
What kind of training/support did you receive?
Nichole: The CHSSA did an incredible job of training all new refs. They offered weekly field sessions for 4 weeks where teams scrimmaged and each ref learned all of the positions. As the weeks progressed, we were able to get live training. They also offered weekly Zoom sessions to answer questions and review the rule book.
Lisa: My training and support came in the form of mentors who took me under their wings for men's and youth flag football. Not only that, but they also allowed me to work for them over the years which gave me an advantage when it came to girls' high school flag football.
Amy: Since I did not fill out an interest form until after the season had already started (since I was not aware that flag football was finally a sanctioned sport in Colorado), I was able to watch all of the recorded trainings and read the rule book/supplemental materials and get caught up in time to hop into games around Week 4.
What have been the major challenges you have experienced this season?
Amy: Despite the rapid growth of girls' flag football across the country, the options for officiating gear in women’s sizes are severely lacking. Additionally, as someone with long hair I had to go away from the traditional officials gear websites to find a hat that would accommodate a ponytail. It was a quick reminder that women are still an afterthought in tackle/flag football and there’s a missed business and PR opportunity for equipment/apparel merchants.
Lisa: The biggest challenge I've faced for this first year has been having to train not only new officials but teams and schools as well because they are the ones who set up the field and run the clock.
Brooke: Inconsistency of expectations from game to game with the crews, players, and coaches. We all knew this would be the case, and we anticipate more will be better aligned from season to season.
What has been the most fun?
Lisa: It's been a blast watching officials and teams adapt to this new sport. Observing the different techniques each team uses and seeing how they exceed, or don't, has been very exciting.
Nichole: The two most fun things were building relationships with other referees and seeing these young ladies step up and thrive in a brand-new sport.
Brooke: Seeing the athletes. Wow. What a great place for some of these athletes to display their athleticism. The athletes are excited and having a blast. That’s been the coolest thing to witness and be a part of.
Anything else you want to share?
Nichole: I would love to see more women coaches and refs join in on the fun. If these young women see it they can be it.
Lisa: It's been an absolute honor being a part of this new girl's sport, ensuring that we recruit female officials is very important to me, and I look forward to facing that challenge. Here in Colorado, flag football is gonna blow up, and get bigger and better, and I'm gonna do my part in it, wherever that may be.
Brooke: Being a part of the inaugural season is special. Now seeing young girls on the sidelines helping, and in the stands watching, and around the neighborhoods and parks practicing and playing this new sport…if you’re tuned into what this opportunity provides for young girls and female athletes, it will give you chills.
Amy: More times than not this season, I have had a player come over to me to say how excited they are to have a woman officiating their game. I didn’t expect that level of outward enthusiasm, which has been really rewarding. Representation does matter!
Denver’s 9News did a segment on the inaugural flag football championship. Be sure to check out the first four minutes of the video below—the excitement is contagious! And you will see some familiar faces toward the end of the segment.
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Great article!
Fantastic questions and cool insights. Really interesting read!