Panthers Girls Flag Football Initiative In WCPSS Kicks Off

The Carolina Panthers have officially brought Girls Flag Football to Wake County with a kick off event at Millbrook High School on Thursday, January 11th. This event was the culmination of hard work and determination by one Apex High School sophomore, Coco Lavielle. She is one of many girls that have a growing interest in playing flag football in North Carolina.  

For the past three years the Panthers have helped grow the sport around the state at the grass roots level with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Cabarrus County Schools, and Union County Schools fielding teams. That has brought the number of schools participating to 36. With Wake on board that will bring the total number of schools participating to 56. 

The NCHSAA classifies a sport only if 25% of schools in the state are actively participating (that is 108 schools participating) in order to be sanctioned by the state association. With New Havover County Schools bringing another 4 schools in March and another district later this year the sport may be sanctioned sooner rather than later. 

Getting WCPSS, the biggest school district in North Carolina, to participate was always a goal and the district has thought this process out well. Lavielle used the time spent waiting for flag football to kick off as an opportunity to get players excited to play. 

To learn more about the flag football kickoff in Wake County click here.