For the first time, girls flag football becomes Philadelphia Public League sport

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Girls are rewriting the playbook! For the first time, flag football for girls is an official Philadelphia Public League sport.

Dobbins High School is one of the teams helping kick off a new era on the field this year.

"Growing up, you don't really see girls playing football and if you do, it's only with boys," said Dobbins senior, Brielle Phillips.

For Phillips, suiting up to play football for Dobbins High wasn't something she thought was possible.

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She played flag football as an intramural sport last year and this year, the sport is now part of the Philadelphia Public League.

"Some people think that just because its non contact, that you're not really playing football but you are. But in my eyes, it's more skill and restraint," she said. "So seeing us girls get together and we're actually good at it and people noticing it, it's a good feeling."

"We really have been able to tap into a new population of female athletes in the City of Philadelphia that otherwise wouldn't be playing sports," said Dobbins Athletic Director, Jackie Castorino.

Castorino is the new chair for the Philadelphia Public League flag football program.

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"We really have been raising the bar every year," she said. "Our first year was really just people learning how to play the sport."

"And with learning something new, they really bonded and heightened their sense of camaraderie. And also giving opportunities for additional exposure," said Kadijah Hankerson, Flag Football Steering Committee and Dobbins coach.

In Spring 2022, the Philadelphia Eagles launched a girls flag football league with 16 area schools. This year, the Philadelphia Public League has 32 girls teams, with 4 intramural teams.

The goal is to make it an officially sanctioned sport in the state.

"It's nice to be part of something that you know will be bigger later," said Dobbins junior, Nia Mitchell.

And the sport itself is growing. Just last Fall, the International Olympic Committee announced that both girls and boys flag football will debut as an Olympic sport in the 2028 games.