Simplified: More than 140 girls are participating in the inaugural flag football league – which started this year thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Vikings. Here's what you need to know about Sioux Falls' newest high school sport.
Why it matters
- Flag football is having a moment right now. In 2023, the NFL made a major change to their season-ending Pro Bowl game to be flag football instead of tackle. The sport is also set to make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.
- The NFL is also using flag football as a way to reach younger audiences, including girls. This fall, thanks to the Vikings grant, Sioux Falls' four public high schools all fielded girls flag football teams – reaching about 140 girls in the first-of-its-kind league.
- One of those girls is Roosevelt senior Lauren Carlson, who is not only on the first-ever girls flag football team, but she also has the distinction of scoring the Rough Riders’ first touchdown in school history, a feat she completed at Howard Wood Field on Sept. 12.
“It’s cool to be a part of something new,” Carlson said. “I’ve talked to a lot of underclassmen that have just heard about flag football. I think we’ll always be able to get enough girls to go out now. I don’t think it’s going to go away.”
