As the sport of flag football grows on a national level, the state of Arizona continues to play a role.
USA Football, the sport’s national governing body in charge of selecting and training Team USA for events like the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, is awarding its annual Girls’ Flag Grant to four organizations. One of the organizations selected is right here in the Valley — the Junior Lady Vipers in Buckeye.
“Receiving the USA Football Girls’ Flag Grant will be a significant step in helping our organization expand and strengthen our program," Junior Lady Vipers president Donnell Williams said in a press release. "The funding will allow us to provide essential equipment, enhance safety and offer structured skill development for players of all experience levels. ...
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"Most importantly, it will help level the playing field for girls in our community who otherwise may not have access to quality training or resources.”
Williams is also the father of Buckeye Verrado sophomore quarterback Mia Williams, one of the top young passers in the state who threw for 3,573 yards and 52 touchdowns in her debut season.
This year's grant recipients are based across the country and also include: Bensalem Ramblers Football and Cheer (Pennsylvania), Chippewa Falls Youth Football (Wisconsin) and Helena Small Fry Football (Montana).
Since its creation in 2022, the grant has been awarded to 16 programs nationwide, coinciding with the sport’s exponential growth as more states sanction it as a high school varsity sport for girls. The previous 12 grant recipients received more than $155,000 total in equipment and direct support.
The grant is more than a one-time assist — recipients receive support for three years.
Williams thanked USA Football and added, “We’ve already seen strong momentum and growing excitement from our players as they begin to develop a real passion for the sport.”
Flag football has only been a sanctioned Arizona Interscholastic Association sport since the 2023 season, but has already seen two new conferences (4A and 3A) added in the past two years to accommodate the growing desire for the sport.
In total, there are 135 schools slated to field a flag football team in the 2025 school year in Arizona.
Opportunities in flag football also exist at the collegiate level and are growing. National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) universities offer scholarships in women’s flag football. Both the NAIA and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) hold flag football national championships annually.
Here in the Valley, three schools — Arizona Christian University, Ottawa University and Benedictine University Mesa — are set to offer flag football in 2025.
The NCAA may come soon next for flag football. This past February, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recommended that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add flag football as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program.
“I’ve witnessed the sport’s incredible growth over the years,” Williams said. “With flag football becoming an Olympic sport in 2028 and colleges beginning to offer varsity programs and scholarships, it’s an exciting time for the game.”
Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@gannett.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big money: Local youth flag football club receives grant from USA Football
