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Women's History Month: Milwaukee Reagan forming the future of female football

10 schools across Wisconsin have formed flag-football teams to compete at the Hutson Center.
Posted at 7:16 PM, Mar 08, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-08 20:16:32-05

If you watched Super Bowl 57 for the commercials, then you saw the NFL highlight Mexico's flag football quarterback Diana Flores.

As you can imagine, the theme was famous reporters and players trying to grab her flag as Diana left them all in the dust. The purpose, to provoke thoughts of Davate Adams chasing after America's female flag football star.

"Right now, there are over 10,000 girls playing high school flag football. And there are scholarships available at NIAI schools, they could go play juco. Wisconsin doesn't have it," says Gregory Roman, Head Football and Flag Football Coach at Milwaukee Reagan High School.

No longer being non-existent, is something that Milwaukee Reagan and other high schools across the state are currently working on.

"It's like a whole new opportunity for people to take and especially if no one is doing right now, it's up for grabs. Anyone can be really good at it," says Alyssa Aranda, senior Huskie and multisport athlete.

Ten high schools in Wisconsin, including Reagan, have formed girl's flag football teams.

"I'm actually pretty confident. I think our team is looking pretty good. I'm really surprised actually, but I think we are going to do pretty good. A lot of us girls don't know each other really well. We are a bunch of different grades, so I think we are adjusting well," says Alyssa.

Even girls who aren't afraid to play football with the boys, like Bismah Sheikh, are excited to play with an all-girls club.

"Out of everything football, I don't like the tackling part. So, when I heard about flag football, I was like yeah, this is my thing," says Bismah Sheikh, sophomore running back and corner for Reagan.

"If we were to tell them that we are going to go play on our practice field and play other teams you'd have these girls lining up," says Coach Roman.

With the NFL and Nike teaming up to expand the sport, this new howl of Huskies is going all the way to title town.

"I think that's one of the main reasons I did it. For us women, we aren't quite there yet. So, I think going to see what is possible and how big everything is that's going to be really cool," says Alyssa.

"Going up to Green Bay is a huge accomplishment. I love the Green Bay Packers so going up there is so awesome," says Bismah.

Competing in a tournament at the Hutson Center, later this year, these girls are working overtime to pace a path from their gridiron to the world.

"Some of these girls are involved in wrestling, and they are involved in basketball and cheerleader and other things. So, they have long days," says Coach Roman. "I really think that what you are going to see in the next years is this become a sport that grows across the state of Wisconsin and then across the country. Then as the NFL sees it, it becomes a global game."

Efforting to make flag football a sport in the 2028 Olympics, we may see a Super Bowl commercial promoting America's team sooner than we think.

"Some girls just need like a little push. I feel so lucky to be a sophomore and to have next year that I can play flag football and for this to actually become a sport. Maybe even an Olympic sport. I feel really lucky to be a part of that," says Bismah.


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