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Last December, the Athletic Department announced two new athletic opportunities for students: girls flag football and co-ed crew.
This year, the OHSAA sanctioned girls flag football, continuing the development of the program. Additionally, professional teams like the Browns have made many efforts to help expand the program.
The Cleveland Browns Girls High School Flag Football program launched initiatives like a state championship game, which will be held on May 16th at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with numerous teams competing for the first-ever girls high school flag football championship title. After the regular season concludes, 11 teams will qualify for the playoffs, alongside five wild-card teams. The champion and three runner-ups from the Browns league will compete with four teams from the Bengals division for the state title.
By providing teams with needed resources and support, the organization helps empower young female athletes all around Ohio.
Over the past five years, with the help of the Browns, the number of Northeast Ohio high school girls flag football teams has grown from six in 2021 to 120. Over 61 high schools have joined the 2026 Spring season.
A significant reason for Academy’s introduction of the sport is the recruitment opportunities it can open up for female athletes, as the NCAA has named it a scholarship sport. Many other schools in the Central Buckeye League have already integrated the program into theirs, further motivating Academy to join in. However, the Athletic Department has run into some issues regarding turnout. “Unfortunately, we didn’t get enough interest to sponsor a team this spring, but we’re going to work on it again next year,” said Jacque DeMarco.
What inspired the offer of a co-ed crew team is the increasing prevalence of students who currently row through clubs. The program will be offered as a club format with support from the Athletic Department, rather than as an official sport.
Both sports have yet to officially launch, as only a few students have expressed interest in either one. Another issue with both sports is the scheduling conflicts they create. As both teams would practice and compete simultaneously with other spring sports, many students who have expressed interest in the programs already partake in time-consuming commitments, whether it is sports or academic extracurriculars.
