Why Women Need to Be Coaching Flag Football at Every Age
More Than a Game: Why Women Need to Be Coaching Flag Football at Every Age
When I walk onto the field I’m not just coaching plays, I'm coaching change. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is when women take the lead in flag football and yet, despite how far the game has come, most sidelines don’t reflect the changes.
Whether we’re coaching kids just learning how to pull a flag or adults gearing up for National tournaments, women need to be coaching flag football at every level. Not just because we can, but because the game needs us.
Girls need to see it to believe it, representation does matter. When girls see women leading huddles, breaking down film, or drawing up the game-winning play, it plants a seed: “I can do that too.”
According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14, often citing a lack of female role models. Coaching changes this and I’ve seen it first hand. One female coach can keep a dozen girls in the game and show dozens of boys leadership comes in many forms.
As a coach, I’ve watched shy eight-year-old girls light up when they realize the person teaching them reads coverage like a pro. That moment of connection is the start of something bigger.
We Bring More Than Playbooks. We Bring Empathy & Communication.
Coaching flag football isn’t just about understanding routes and reads. It’s about reading people: what motivates them, how they learn, when they’re ready for a push, and when they need reassurance.
Research consistently shows that women tend to lead with empathy and communication. That can transform a team’s culture. I’ve built teams where athletes, regardless of age or gender, feel safe, heard, and valued. That’s where confidence grows.
A good coach develops skills. A great coach develops people. We’re more than capable of doing both.
Coaching Football Isn’t a Dude Thing. It’s a Smart Thing.
Let’s be real. There’s still this idea floating around that women can’t coach football because we didn’t grow up playing it in the same way boys did. That’s a myth, and it’s an outdated one.
Flag football is exploding globally, and more girls and women are playing it than ever before. We’re competing at high levels, studying the game, and coaching with purpose.
Consider this:
-
Over 20 U.S. states now sanction girls’ high school flag football as a varsity sport.
-
Canada and other countries are expanding women’s flag programs at youth, club, and national levels.
-
With flag football joining the LA 2028 Olympics, the spotlight is only getting brighter.
This Isn’t Just About Football. It’s About Equity.
Let’s not sugarcoat it. Women are still significantly underrepresented in coaching roles, especially in male-dominated sports. That’s not just a football problem, it's a systemic one. Flag football, as a growing and flexible sport, has the chance to do things differently. If you’re a league director or club manager, ask yourself why there aren’t more women on your coaching staff. More importantly, what can you do to change that? If you’re a parent, encourage your daughters and your sons to be coached by women. Let them learn from different leadership styles. And if you’re a woman who’s ever considered coaching, there is a place for you in this game. You don’t need permission. You need a whistle and your voice.
When Women Coach, Everyone Wins
Teams led by women win on more than just the scoreboard. They win in culture, character, and confidence.cWe develop athletes who listen better, work harder, and learn how to lead because they’ve seen leadership modeled in diverse ways. We build teams that understand inclusion, not just as a concept, but as a lived experience.
And yes, we win championships too.
This Isn’t About Replacing Male Coaches
Hopefully you’ve read up to this point, as it’s important I clear something up. This isn’t a call to replace male coaches. It’s a call to expand what leadership looks like.
Some of the best coaching partnerships I’ve been part of included men who:
-
Shared the sideline and respected different coaching styles
-
Actively mentored women and made space for their voices
-
Encouraged athletes to learn from multiple perspectives
The future of flag football is not either/or. It is more. More voices. More leaders. More balance.
Final Whistle: Let’s Build Something Bigger
I didn’t start coaching because I wanted to make a point. I started because I love the game. But the longer I coach, the more I realize we are the point. Women belong on football fields, on the sidelines, and in charge. If we want flag football to grow the right way, we need women coaching at every age, in every league, and at every level.
Let’s stop asking if we can do it.
We’ve already been doing it.
Let’s ask who’s ready to join us.
Be the catalyst
Coach Steph
