Eastern University leading the way in college women's flag football

RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- Girls and women's flag football has seen exponential growth in recent years.

Eastern University added flag football as an official sport this year, and the team's inaugural season is underway. Athletic Director, Eric McNelley, led the charge.

"On a national level, to be one of the first programs to go all-in -- a full-time head coach, graduate assistants to help grow the program and show the value to our women -- is exciting," McNelley said.

Athletes from other teams have gravitated towards flag football. It's become a melting pot of women who want to make history.

"I'm pulling girls from basketball, maybe soccer, a lot of other sports," head coach Amanda Ruller shared. "So that means we're teaching them the base level of fundamentals. I can see the athletes on campus -- maybe they do play basketball -- what attributes can you now bring to the flag game? And I'm constantly teaching them, 'OK, bring that thing from basketball into our sport.'"

Junior Damiyae Moyet is a member of the basketball team but joined the flag team this spring with the intention of inspiring new generations of girls.

"Being here now, younger girls can see, 'I can do that. I can be just like them,'" Moyet reflected. "And before, it was like, 'That's a men's sport, that's what boys would do.' So I feel like it just sets the standard that we can do what men do as well."

"If you can see her, you can be her," Ruller remarked. "That's something when I was growing up, I couldn't see representation of women in football. Now, you can actually see women on the field, on the sidelines, as athletic trainers, as sports broadcasters, and that's very exciting."

Two years ago, it was announced that flag football would be added to the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Since then, it's been the driving force to continue growing the sport here at home and worldwide.

McNelley said following the announcement, his "wheels started to turn right away," as Eastern University got right to work.

"That's an exciting opportunity for these girls to actually see it being played at the highest level possible," Ruller said. "What a great way to promote this sport, get it in different schools and universities going forward."