Michael has made it a key point to create spaces for girls in his league. When he started in 2014, he had just four girls involved, and today that number has grown to 116. In 2021, he introduced Females in Flag divisions, starting with four middle school girls’ teams. This fall, that growth continued, with 18 teams across 8u, 10u, 12u, and 14u/17u age groups, totaling close to 160 players. Michael’s league also hosts free clinics for girls over the summer, often drawing more than 100 participants.
“If a girl wanted to play, I made sure she was on my team because I knew I would involve her,” he shares, noting how his two daughters inspired him to expand the program. To Michael, building girls’ teams is essential to making the game accessible. “Flag football is for everyone, regardless of gender,” he says.