The fall football season may be over, but the winter season presents a unique new opportunity for girls to take over and represent Liberty High School: the first ever girls’ flag football team.
Many KingCo schools have already introduced girl’s flag football into their athletics due to its rise in popularity, and it appears Liberty has gained that same traction with over 50 girls signing up to make history in the school’s first flag football season.
Led by coach Brent Kawaguchi and assisted by coaches Steve Valach and Blakley Salvidar, flag football has been met with positive feedback from students excited by the opportunity to play a new sport with their friends.
“It’s the first time it’s ever happening, and I have a lot of friends who are doing it. It’s a privilege to be on the first team here,” sophomore Maya Sarion said.
Although many of the players lack experience when it comes to the sport, they are eager to learn alongside old and new friends in a low-pressure environment.
“It’s a social sport. It’s not like there’s club flag football or anything, so I think it’ll just be a lot of fun to get to play a new sport with new people,” senior Bella Grabowski said.
Not only is the sport new for most of the players, but also to the coaches. While some of the coaches only have a history of coaching boys’ football, they too are excited to embrace this fresh new experience alongside the players.
“I think whether I’m coaching girls or boys, there’s something really exciting about forming a team,” assistant coach Steve Valach said.
Seeing how spirited students are for the boys’ football team during the fall, the girls’ flag football team hopes for the same support despite the few differences between the sports.
“I think that it’s important to know that women’s sports are equally as important as men’s sports,” freshman Elle Taylor said.
Although the addition of girls’ flag football provides a fun option for girls looking for an extracurricular, it also allows girls to receive more representation in high school sports.
“I think supporting girls flag football is supporting girls, and that’s helpful for women’s sports,” Grabowski said.
Non-players also have the opportunity to create a legacy alongside the players as the first crowd to support them in an entertaining sport that will be remembered for years to come.
“If it takes off like it seems like it’s going to, 20 years from now, we’ll have girls flag football, but people who are here this year can say I was part of that first team,” Valach said.
