TAMPA, Fla. — When sisters Alicia and Taylor Jones stepped onto the practice field at Robinson High School in Tampa in 2023, they became the fourth and fifth daughters in their family to play girls flag football — part of a program that has already claimed 10 state championships.
While high school girls’ flag football is booming nationally — with 14 states now sanctioning it as a competitive sport and participation growing rapidly — Florida did so first. More than 20 years ago, the state began offering girls’ flag football in high schools and today boasts more than 10,000 female players across four divisions and over 450 participating schools.
The program’s maturity is evident in schools like Robinson and nearby Alonso High School, which has its own strong record with four state titles. Their coaches, including former players who climbed to the national team level, now help guide new generations of athletes. One such alumna is Deliah Autry‑Jones, who joined the U.S. women’s flag-football national team and now assists at Robinson.
Coaches told the Associated Press that the challenge now is translating Florida’s head start into college opportunities and broader national recognition. While at least 65 NCAA schools now sponsor girls flag football at the club level, it remains part of the Emerging Sports for Women program — not yet fully varsity status in many places.
“For us it’s real, it’s normal, it’s just what we do,” said a junior at Robinson. Meanwhile, across the country, other high schools are just beginning their programs, looking to places like Florida as a road map. The flag is up and ready to fly.
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