At Homewood-Flossmoor High School, football isn’t just a boys sport any more.
At the District 233 board meeting March 18, school board members unanimously agreed to offer girls flag football starting in the fall.
Athletics Director Matthew Lyke said when the Illinois High School Association adopted flag football as an official sport and included a state series, the sport has been gaining momentum. Nationally, 14 states have officially sanctioned girls flag football as a high school varsity sport.
Lyke said student interest surveys a few years ago showed there was an interest in flag football. Most recently when he addressed Principal Clinton Alexander’s Principal’s Advisory Committee, the students again gave support for flag football.
“It’s just exciting for us,“ Lyke told the board. “It will be the second sport addition in the last three years, all girls sports, and I think it will be successful.” H-F recently added girls wrestling.
Board members asked if other local high schools will be competitors for H-F. Lyke said currently District 230’s Stagg, Andrew and Sandburg High Schools are offering girls flag football. He knows Lockport High is showing interest and Bradley-Bourbonnais High “had a very successful state series last year.” Lincoln-Way schools are contemplating added flag football.
Board member Michelle Hoereth, recognizing the plethora of fall sports, asked how H-F would accommodate another fall sport that needs a field for practice and games. Lyke said “from a practice perspective we’re in good shape because we can add 100-yard fields in grass in the freshman baseball field along Governors Highway or even additions to the west field behind the home bleachers.”
“From a competition perspective, they will play games on the north field or the stadium,” he said. Flag football is often played jamboree style with four games happening at the same time. It’s a good way to get three or four games in on a Saturday. The season is 25 games.
The addition of flag football could mean the demise of girls field hockey. Lyke said numbers were extremely low three years ago. New coaches were able to recruit players, but competition requires H-F players to be bussed for 90 minutes to Chicago’s North Shore neighborhood to play a game that’s 40 minutes. The long travel is tough on the players.
Lyke said field hockey players have shown an interest in flag football.