AD 360 – Episode Summary

Podcast: AD 360
Host: PlayOn Sports
Episode: The Rise of High School Girls Flag Football
Date: February 10, 2025
Guests: Jeff Sullivan (Director of Athletics, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD), Greg Vandermade (co-host), Scott Rosenberg (co-host)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the surge in popularity of high school girls flag football, focusing on the experiences and lessons learned by Montgomery County Public Schools, one of the nation’s pioneering districts. Jeff Sullivan, the Director of Athletics, shares insider insights on launching the program, the challenges and triumphs involved, and the broader cultural movement towards opportunity and equity in female high school sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Launching a Girls Flag Football Program

• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Early and ongoing collaboration with stakeholders is critical.
  • Jeff highlights the need to include student-athletes, booster clubs, coaches, ADs, principals, and central office staff from the outset.
    • "So again, the big advice, just like many initiatives, is to get people involved early and get those voices infused with the process." (03:13, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Benchmarking with pioneering districts helps avoid pitfalls.
• Strategic Planning
  • Backward design is key: set the end goal, then work backward with milestones.
    • "I'm a big timeline person and capturing here is the end. This is our end goal..." (03:57, Jeff Sullivan)

2. Overcoming Concerns About Impact on Existing Sports

• Data-Driven Results
  • Initial fears centered on potential disruption to existing sports.
  • Montgomery County’s data: 71.4% of 10th-12th grade flag football participants hadn’t previously played a fall sport.
    • "71.4% of those athletes did not participate in our fall program previously." (06:00, Jeff Sullivan)
    • Hosts react: "That's a staggering number." (06:02, Greg Vandermade)
  • Flag football generated new participants without cannibalizing other sports.
• Equity & Opportunity
  • The program breaks down barriers associated with club sports, allowing more equitable access.
    • "When you introduce a sport like girls flag and everyone's starting together, right, it's an equal opportunity for people to engage." (06:48, Jeff Sullivan)

3. Building Excitement & Partnerships

• Community Excitement and Buy-In
  • Overwhelming positive response from students, parents, and the community.
    • "Overwhelming excitement. When we made the initial announcement, people were just extremely excited." (12:23, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Seniors lamented just missing the chance, boosting the program’s “hype.”
• Strategic Clinics and NFL Partnerships
  • Skills and coaches clinics held in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour.
  • Pro teams provided "top-notch experiences" (e.g., playing at M&T Bank Stadium).
    • "The Ravens were an amazing partner... official partnership with the Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour to launch the initiative..." (10:24, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Emphasis on leveraging pro team backing for resources and visibility.

4. Officials and Coaches: Recruitment and Training

• Referee Recruitment
  • Tapped the tackle football officials' association; trained them on adapted rules.
    • "We started with our, our tackle football officials association and we drew the officials from, from that group..." (15:28, Jeff Sullivan)
• Coaching Mix
  • Range of coaches: experienced, new, and those shifting from other sports.
  • Highlighted story: a two-time state champion tackle coach returns to coach flag football, motivated by his daughter's participation.
    • "We had one coach who was a two time state champion tackle football coach... and he came back and coached in the inaugural season." (16:43, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Rapid adoption of film study and analytics, paralleling other varsity sports.

5. Unexpected Challenges

• Officials’ Training and Scaling
  • Ongoing challenge: scaling officiating crews with the district’s size and evolving rules.
• Facility & Scheduling Limitations
  • Field space is at a premium; scheduling games amid competing sports is complex.
    • "How do we fit that in? ... with just the sheer volume of what we have. We have to scatter things and look at field availability." (19:42, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Currently, only varsity teams; JV expansion will add more pressure.

6. Broader Trends Behind Flag Football's Rise

• Cultural Shifts & Media Impact
  • “Caitlin Clark effect”—increased interest in girls’ and women’s sports.
  • NFL’s strategic support, both financial and in visibility, accelerates the sport’s growth.
    • "I feel seems like anything the NFL touches turns to gold and is a success. And I'm not being paid to say that." (22:47, Jeff Sullivan)
• Momentum and Leadership
  • Emphasis on having united support from ADs, principals, and the school board to drive district-wide initiatives.
  • "You've got to have that collective support around an initiative." (24:38, Jeff Sullivan)

7. Changing Perceptions and School Culture

• School communities have embraced the sport, with heightened recognition for girls’ flag teams.
• High-impact events (e.g., pep rallies in partnership with the Commanders and Ravens) build tradition and pride.
  • "This is a party that just never stops. ... I never could have imagined a year ago, you know, taking this on." (26:14, Coach Casey Landefeld via Jeff Sullivan)

8. Growth Trajectory, Analytics, and The Future

• Rapid Expansion
  • The sport's growth is notably faster than previous new additions like lacrosse.
    • "Whereas flag football, I feel like it was, you turn the lights on him, game on." (28:38, Greg Vandermade)
• Analytics & Scouting
  • Use of Vidswap and similar platforms for game analysis; immediate adoption mirrors established sports.
    • "It has. And that was again with the forward thinking. What, what do we need to make this a success? Of course we need the video, right? We need, we need the breakdown." (31:19, Jeff Sullivan)
• Watch for Expansion
  • Anticipate future JV teams, middle school leagues, and a path to state-sanctioned status.
    • "At the state level you're going to see this become a state sanctioned sport... we're hoping to get that number this coming fall..." (33:18, Jeff Sullivan)
  • Need to pursue alternative funding (NFL, grants) for sustainability.

9. Diversity, Inclusion, and Opportunity

• Flag football has thrived across all types of communities in a remarkably diverse district.
  • "Girls flag was not just a home run, it was a grand slam. It was out of the park. And that's the beauty of this activity." (37:48, Jeff Sullivan)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Participation and Impact:
  "71.4% of those athletes did not participate in our fall program previously." (06:00, Jeff Sullivan)

• On Equity:
  "When you introduce a sport like girls flag and everyone's starting together, right, it's an equal opportunity for people to engage." (06:48, Jeff Sullivan)

• On NFL Partnerships:
  "The Ravens were an amazing partner... They had the same pyrotechnics and entryway for our girls flag student athletes at the state tournament that the Ravens have." (10:24, Jeff Sullivan)

• On Community Buy-In:
  "Overwhelming excitement. When we made the initial announcement, people were just extremely excited." (12:23, Jeff Sullivan)

• On Strategic Growth:
  "I expect here locally us to add junior varsity at the high school level. We have a strong interest in getting this started in our middle schools as well." (33:18, Jeff Sullivan)

• On Diversity and Inclusion:
  "Girls flag was not just a home run, it was a grand slam. It was out of the park." (37:48, Jeff Sullivan)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:31] – Initial planning, stakeholder engagement, strategic rollout
• [06:00] – Data on participant backgrounds and equity implications
• [10:24] – NFL partnerships and game day experience for players
• [12:23] – Community excitement and initial reactions
• [15:28] – Recruitment and training of officials
• [16:37] – Coaching pipeline and flag football’s appeal
• [18:34] – Unexpected challenges, officials training, facilities logistics
• [22:23] – Factors behind the sport’s explosion
• [25:17] – Evolving perceptions and school culture shifts
• [31:19] – Adoption of analytics and video scouting
• [33:18] – Future predictions: JV, middle school expansion, state sanctioning
• [37:48] – Diversity, inclusion, and the “grand slam” of flag football’s impact

Summary Takeaways

• Girls flag football is not just a trend—it’s meeting a critical need for equity, inclusion, and opportunity in high school athletics.
• The successful rollout in Montgomery County offers a replicable model: Stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, early skills clinics, and pro team partnerships are essential to early success.
• New participants drive growth: The majority of players are newcomers to school sports, expanding the athletic community.
• Rapid adoption of best practices from other varsity sports accelerates legitimacy.
• Districts must prepare for logistical challenges—especially in scaling officials, field space, and funding.
• With NFL and community buy-in, girls flag football is poised to become a sanctioned, staple sport nationwide.