It’s no argument that football holds a significant place in American culture. Every year, the NFL is America’s favorite sports league, and the Super Bowl is its most-watched television event. On a high-school level, football often unites a school community. Boys who play on football teams experience brotherhood, a sense of responsibility, and the joy of winning. Entire school communities come together to cheer on their team. Despite its appeal, football has one shortcoming: the sport is primarily dominated by men.
Federal law Title IX prohibits any gender discrimination in educational programs which receive federal funding. This includes athletic programs (National High School Ethics Bowl). As a result, any girls who wish to participate on their high-school football teams often are able to, usually as kickers or holders (the largely non-contact positions).
But some girls yearn to play football. In 2021, the New York Jets and Nike collaborated to start New Jersey’s first high school girls flag football league. The program, intending to provide girls with “an equitable opportunity to play football compared to their male counterparts” (The New York Jets), has been rising in popularity since.
As of spring 2025, girls’ flag football is in its second year as a pilot program, run by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). It’s currently considered “non-strenuous,” meaning that girls can play while participating in another sport. The NJSIAA is projected to officially sanction flag football with a vote in the spring of 2026. Once approved, it would become an official spring sport with its own state tournament (Cooper). Right now, the conferences are made up of teams from large public schools, like Manville and North Brunswick. Stuart Country Day School is proving that such a program could work even in a smaller school; an after-school flag football clinic is open to anyone interested.
Junior Nica Martin and sophomore Ava Katz say they are interested in the prospect of a team at PDS. “I think [girls flag football] is on the rise right now,” Martin offered. “A couple of other schools around here have it too. It’s going to be in the Olympics.”
Assistant Director of Athletics Emily Shircliff is open to the possibility of an intramural girls’ flag football team at PDS. She also explained that the biggest logistics to sort out would be equipment, budget, and scheduling. However, if enough girls demonstrated interest, making such a team possible should not be a big endeavor.
