Flag football has grown to be a very popular sport. It is only in its second year as a sport at Laguna Beach High School and its growth in the program is phenomenal. Senior Ella Dorfman has been playing flag football for only two years but she says “the growth in this sport is inspiring to see, more and more people come to tryouts and I see more people talking about the sport.” Dorfman is a three year varsity soccer goalkeeper and she says that soccer has influenced her to play flag football. She says soccer has always been a super competitive sport and when she heard of the idea of playing flag football, she knew she would excel.
Once Dorfoman got into playing the sport, it became an outlet for her to play freely and grow as a strong, competitive athlete. As a goalkeeper, she is trapped in a box and only gets a few plays a game. As a flag football player, she can participate in the action. Dorfman is a rusher, the person who rushes the quarterback and grabs her flag. However, Dorfman is a versatile player who can play numerous positions. Much like a goalkeeper, Dorfman wants to disrupt and stop the offense as much as possible. Dorfman states “the difference between soccer and flag is big, learning the new rules in flag football were a challenge. However, I’ve been playing goalkeeper my whole life and it has helped me become a better flag player because it has given me good hands to catch and a good feel for what’s going on.”
Dorfman isn’t the only person to find that flag football is a great sport. For girls specifically, it has grown 63% since 2019. It has gotten so popular that it will make its debut in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics for both men and women. The sport has grown so much for high school girls that it has become as talked about as tackle football; girls just wanna play! The main difference between tackle football and flag football is the financial support. The only way for girls to play flag football beyond high school is NAIA (National Association of Inter Collegiate Athletes) which only supports athletes at smaller schools. There are some flag football club teams, but the same issue stands. The real money comes from the NCAA which does not recognize flag football as a sport in most institutions. This rips away all the hard work these flag football athletes put in. It is not fair that an olympic level sport like flag football should not be in the NCAA. These girls work too hard to not have the opportunity to get scholarships for their hard work and dedication.
Dorfman plans on going to a four year college where she hopes to play soccer and study sports medicine. Dorfman says “the memories and relationships this sport has given me are some of the greatest things I have experienced. I will always remember the feeling of scoring my first touchdown and celebrating with my team.” For Dorfman, flag football has always brought her joy when playing. Dorfman is having an amazing senior season and hopes girls in the future will have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level.
