With the start of the new school year, a new sports team was added to the various teams at Dublin High, the Girls Flag Football. Flag football gives students an opportunity to explore something discrete, exercise, and meet new friends. Inspired by the rising popularity of flag football in America, Dublin is determined to keep up with the trends and win another championship for the school. 

The rules of flag football are easy to understand. The motive in Girls Flag Football is very simple: score more points than the opposing team. There are various ways to get points which include scoring a touchdown or getting 1-2 extra points by scoring another touchdown from the 3-yard or 10-yard line. Unlike tackle football, there is little to no contact in this sport. You can stop the other team’s players from reaching the touchdown line by pulling a flag off their waist, hence the name flag football. 

At Dublin High, we have a team of 28 girls and 4 coaches who have dedicated time and effort into playing flag football. To learn more about their experience playing flag football, here is a Q&A with two of the players. We interviewed Hoang-Yen(Yen) and Kiren, who are both currently freshmen at Dublin High. 

Question #1: What is your experience so far playing Flag Football at Dublin High?

• Yen: “So far playing flag football has given me a lot of joy. Everyday I am getting better and learning new things. Since, it is a new sport everyone can join and enjoy.”
• Kiren: “So far flag football has been great. The team has become like a family to me and at practice and during games it is just a good vibe. When it comes to the coaches, they are supportive and understanding. Being on the field is exhilarating when it comes to offense and defense. It’s just so much fun to play.”

Question #2: What are your goals for this year as part of the team?

• Yen: “My goals for this year as part of this team is learning to become a wide receiver to make sure to know the plays and executing the plays. Also, to stop dropping balls when I am wide open and not to be afraid of a little contact.”
• Kiren: “This year, my goals are to score at least a couple touchdowns and just to be and for us to win the tournament. The tournament on 10/28 is the game that matters, and if we win that we kinda win it all. It’s kinda like making it to the Super Bowl if we advance and win, so being a part of that is exciting and winning it is a big goal. With that, a personal goal for me is to catch all of the passes to me and catch with my hands.”

Question #3: What is your favorite memory with your team so far?

• Yen: “Being on the sidelines and cheering on my teammates is one of my favorite memories. The energy is always high and everyone is supportive.”
• Kiren: “My favorite memory with the team is definitely the Jamboree because everyone was just having fun. We were hyped up, playing well, and overall it was just really fun. Our defense was not letting anyone through and our offense was amazing too. Afterwards we went to eat and it was just a great memory overall.”

As the youth participants increase in flag football, Dublin High also follows the lead to establish a team. This team is open to everyone and can be learnt swiftly. In all, flag football is an awesome addition to our school and is a great place to create new memories!