Player running with football

The Prince William County School Board unanimously adopted a resolution to adopt Girls Flag Football as a permanent girls’ fall sport across all high schools in the county. Additionally, the Board will issue a formal request to the Virginia High School League (VHSL) advocating for Girls Flag Football to be recognized as an official VHSL-sanctioned sport for all high schools in the Commonwealth. 

The resolution was presented following the success at the club level with 12 of the division’s 13 high schools fielding teams this fall. 

“I am thrilled by the excitement generated by the inaugural girls flag football season in PWCS,” shared School Board Chairman At-Large Dr. Babur Lateef. “As a School Board, we are proud to promote this sport as an official Virginia High School League (VHSL) sport. We've asked the state and the VHSL to make girls flag football an official sport. We did this a number of years ago for robotics—we were the county that led to robotics becoming an official VHSL sport. We want to do that again with girls flag football. This is a sport that is gaining popularity across the country, and it provides our students with great opportunities.”   

The School Board also plans to send a letter to the Virginia Board of Education, urging them to support VHSL’s establishment of Girls Flag Football as an official statewide sport and to emphasize the importance of expanding athletic opportunities for female students. 

The School Board emphasized that this move aligns with Title IX goals by ensuring equal access to school-sponsored sports, facilities, and coaching. “Athletics play a critical role in empowering girls and young women—especially in historically male-dominated sports,” the School Board noted in its resolution.  

During the School Board recognition for Brentsville District High School’s girls flag football team, which won the inaugural season’s championship, PWCS Superintendent Dr. LaTanya D. McDade praised the first girls to play the sport in the division. 

“You are trailblazers, you are history makers. You have set the standard for other girls to come behind you,” Dr. McDade said.  

Girls flag football is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing sports for high school girls nationwide. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, participation surged by 60% between the 2023–24 and 2024–25 school years, with nearly 60,000 girls taking the field and almost 1,000 additional schools adding the sport. 

Community partnerships played a key role in the program’s success as PWCS partnered with the Washington Commanders in 2025 to introduce girls to the sport, hosting clinics in January and May.  

In August, the Commanders announced a commitment to support 127 girls flag football programs throughout Washington, Maryland, and Virginia. As part of this initiative, each program received 25 custom-designed Nike uniforms, 10 footballs, an NFL Flag Kit containing 50 flags, and additional instructional resources.  

The inaugural season was more than just a series of games; it was a historic step toward equity in athletics and an inspiring example of how sports can empower girls.