Girls Flag Football, as introduced last fall, is back at Clayton Valley for the 2024 season. Its first season saw great successes as it was not only a fan favorite sport, but the team also won the Diablo Flag Football League with a record of 12-5. This year, the girls are looking forward to working towards regaining their title as division champions, and proving that the sport is here to stay at Clayton Valley -- while also inspiring girls to be the best version of themselves possible.
Although flag football is Clayton Valley’s newest sport, it has already gained an expansion with the introduction of a junior varsity team for this season. With its popularity, the team had a large group of girls try out, meaning they could increase their team sizes.
Anja Perreira, a senior playing her second year of varsity flag football, noted that when it comes to a new junior varsity team compared to the solo team last year, the prior knowledge some of the girls had was helpful because “there were more girls to help train the new girls and show them what goes on.” This opportunity has not only given many underclassmen a chance to participate in the sport, but also ensures flag football’s fate at Clayton Valley by pursuing and developing younger athletes, maximizing their potential.
Senior Ruby Bartholomew was asked if she thought flag football was here to stay.
“For sure,” she said. “Since last year we've had freshmen starting and it's becoming a way bigger sport and more people are wanting to do it. I’ve even had girls coming up to me saying ‘Oh, I wish I had tried out,’ and I think our success has really inspired girls around us.”
However, the sport seems to mean more than just what happens on the field. When watching their games, there is no doubt that the team has a special dynamic that involves a connection that goes beyond a normal sports team. These girls are in a unique situation where they are leaders who are paving the way for other girls after them, creating a special connection between them all. Both groups of girls are incredibly close in and out of jerseys, and this community that they have created exemplifies what it means to be a team.
Bartholomew, who is also the team's current leader in touchdowns and receiving yards per game, talked about the importance of leaving a mark on a community and even doing that through a sport, adding that “at the end of the day, it is a new sport but, it really is representing women in a way, and it sends a message of equality.” She also included that “it is more than a sport and what we are doing on the field, but instead it’s more about the message we are sending to other girls.”
It is clear that flag football has not just provided Clayton Valley with fun experiences and another division-leading team, but instead a culture shift that is representing not just athletes or people who enjoy sports, but women as a whole. Although becoming a trailblazer can be an intimidating task, there is no doubt that the Eagles are excited to embrace the chapter and the title that comes with it.
Photo Credit: Alyssa Cappa-Lambert
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