ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) — Flag Football is no longer just for powder puff during Homecoming week. Athens High School’s athletics program added Flag Football to its roster this fall with a full 13-game schedule.
According to Athens City Schools, the program “provides an innovative and inclusive opportunity for female student-athletes to compete in one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports.”
News 19 stopped by practice on Tuesday to check out the team’s progress.
Head Coach Stace Tedford told News 19 that there are 19 girls on the team, but around 60 showed up to try out. He said that is an encouraging heading into the season.
One of the players on the inaugural team is Athens High School senior Caitlyn Tedford.
“The word spread around the school, like, who’s going to try out? Who’s not?” Tedford said. “I think everybody was just really excited.”
Another senior on the team, Keahla Jackson, said she first learned how to play flag football during homecoming.
“I really enjoyed powder puff, so I wanted to come out and play the sport full-time,” She said.
The team has practice four days a week, and the girls are giving it their all.
“It is still very much a physical sport, we had a bunch of people still get tackled in our little scrimmage the other day,” Caitlyn Tedford said. “So it’s still physical but not as bad as actual football.”
Head Coach Stace Tedford said he’s proud of his team for working so hard, especially since most of them are multi-sport athletes who have other sports practices the same day as flag football practice.
“These are some of the toughest kids on campus,” Coach Tedford said.
The coach said that while Athens is new to the league, he thinks the team will learn a lot in its first season.
“Getting to play Austin, Decatur, Grissom, Huntsville, Lee, Mae Jemison, some schools with a lot of talent, that’s going to be good for us,” Coach Tedford said. “The first year, we’ll just have to see how we are.”
He said he’s grateful that Athens High School has added a flag football team. He said it’s great for the athletes and the community.
“They wanted to come out here for an hour a day and learn football and have fun and just get a good experience, so I’m just glad they put this on and the community supported it,” Coach Tedford said.
The girls say it’s a great sport for anyone to try.
“If anybody is watching this and they want to play, I think they should definitely do it, it is a fun sport,” Keahla Jackson said.
The team’s first home game is at Athens Stadium on August 28.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
