Flag football — especially among women and girls — has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

It’s gotten so big, in fact, that the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games will feature the sport for the first time ever.

On the local level, Xaverian H.S., Bay Ridge, was the first Brooklyn Diocesan Catholic high school to join the CHSAA’s flag football league and now plays in the ‘AAA’ division.

This spring, two Queens schools joined the varsity ‘AA’ division ranks: St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, and Msgr.  McClancy H.S., East Elmhurst.

The diocesan CHSAA is all about inclusivity and giving as many student-athletes as possible a chance to play the sports they love. Flag football has created another spring sport opportunity for girls, many of whom have never played before but have been captivated by the sport’s growing popularity.

Last school year at the Prep, Joe Bernardini, the defensive coordinator and special teams coach for the Terriers’ freshman boys’ football team, was the moderator of a girls’ flag football club, given the interest level the students showed.

That club became a fully sanctioned CHSAA sport this spring. Of the 20 girls on the roster, only four of them had ever played flag football before entering high school.

“Football is a great game, but for years, it’s been a boys-only sport,” said Bernardini, the team’s head coach and also a math teacher at St. Francis. “Now, girls have a chance to show that they can play too. There are some girls out here that could find a spot on the boys’ team. That’s how good these girls are.”

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In the beginning, it was all about learning the basics of the sport, including formations and terminology. As the season progressed, the Terriers became more comfortable on the field and began to mesh as one cohesive unit.

“I love the team bonding and how we can all go out in practice together as one,” said Olivia Povalitis, a sophomore wide receiver and team co-captain from Bellerose. “Learning how everyone plays the sport is great, and especially seeing how everyone communicates.”

“Since it’s new, I feel like flag football offers a lot more opportunities to girls who are athletic,” said Alexa Pineda, also a sophomore wide receiver and team co-captain who hails from Immaculate Conception parish in Jamaica. “Flag football is a team sport that helps build coordination, and it helps you with other sports. You need to know the basics of the sport to get better.”

Over at Msgr. McClancy, girls’ flag football is the fifth new CHSAA sport added in the last two school years. The athletic administration has listened carefully to its students’ requests to bring new sports into the school; it’s the old adage at play: “If you build it, they will come.”

This past fall, McClancy held an interest meeting for girls’ flag football, and nearly 100 students attended. The varsity squad this season featured 24 girls of varying skill sets to create a well-rounded team.

“Football is our country’s most popular sport, so this is a great way for our girls to experience high school football,” said Crusaders head varsity girls’ flag football coach Jonathan Hili.

At the collegiate level, there are over 50 schools sponsoring women’s flag football. It’s being fast-tracked.

Many of the skills in flag football are similar to regular football: blocking, catching, running, and throwing. The main difference of course is that tackling is replaced by pulling flags, offering a much safer option for female student-athletes who love the strategy and fast-paced nature of the game.

“I’ve always been interested in football and really love watching football with my dad, so when I heard my school was starting up a team, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to start,” said McClancy senior Ruth Madariaga.

“I was excited to hear that we were going to have the opportunity to play flag football at McClancy,” said sophomore Alicia Campos. “It’s like a second family to me. It’s great to motivate young female athletes to play new sports, especially since women’s sports are on the rise.”

These schools made history this spring, and these student-athletes will always remember being part of a pioneering group of young women carving a new path within the diocesan sports scene.

Instead of just watching football, they have now joined the gridiron action.