Over the past few years, schools across FUHSD, including HHS, MVHS and LHS, have added girls’ flag football as one of their fall sports. The sport has become increasingly popular, with girls’ interest in it on the rise, according to NFL Flag. Additionally, more than half of the U.S. states offer high school girls’ flag football, and California is one of the leading states in introducing girls’ flag football in the high school setting. Despite its popularity, FHS has not currently started a girls’ flag football program, yet many hope for its establishment soon.
Introducing a sport to a new school requires interest in the sport within the student body, approval and a coach to lead the team. FHS bilingual paraeducator and FHS JV girls’ soccer coach Jon Martinez has expressed a strong interest in being a coach at FHS.
“[My] brother played football, [I] got into football, and then slowly [I] picked it up in watching some flag football,” Martinez said. “Now I play flag football, and now that most schools have it around, I want to coach here at Fremont.”
In order for girls’ flag football to become a sport at FHS, there must be enough interest. In January 2026, the FHS athletics website, fremonthsathletics.org, will add girls’ flag football under the fall sports section at the top, and clicking on it will lead to an interest form survey about flag football, according to the athletic director, Daniel McCune.
There are already many girls at FHS who have expressed their interest in participating in flag football, according to Martinez. This sparks hope of a team being installed next year.
“There’s about 16 or 20 girls that were interested, so I think the turnout would be great [if we get a team],” Martinez said.
This number of girls should be enough to get a team going, according to Martinez. He expects for there to be a varsity team if a team gets installed next year.
“[The chances of girls’ flag football coming to FHS next year are] highly […] likely,” Martinez said.
This is quite an excitement for girls interested in flag football. Many students, like sophomore Allison Brunnings, are thrilled about the possibility of girls’ flag football coming to FHS.
“I’ve always loved to play [flag football], and it’s just a super fun sport,” Brunnings said. “And there should be a version of football that girls can play too, because it’s fun.”
The possibility of girls’ flag football becoming a sport at FHS is almost a reality. Any girls interested in potentially playing flag football here at FHS, make sure to fill out the form in order to introduce flag football as soon as possible and make it accessible for all girls currently at FHS and coming to FHS. The form will come out January 2026, so make sure to keep an eye out.
