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High-octane football is nothing new in Sumner County but this year the county is experiencing something a little different on the gridiron: girl’s flag football.
The inaugural girls flag football season inching closer to its end, coaches across the county are happy with how things have gone so far. They’re also excited to see what the future holds after this first season.
“It’s been a ton of fun,” Beech coach Nathan Wilson said. “We’ve enjoyed coaching the ladies and it’s a refreshing perspective on teaching. The quarterback position is tough at any level and we’re working with players who’ve barely watched football, let alone played it.
…sometimes it’s just about finding a common language to teach them.”
For coaches so used to coaching boys, they’ve placed an emphasis on the unique challenges and rewards that come along with coaching girls. That commitment to growing the sport in the county is also a major emphasis.
Many of the girls competing for their schools are already dual-sport athletes. That experience playing other sports have helped many of them transition easier to the gridiron even if they’ve never played football before.
“Most of us had never played before, but we learned how to work together and grow as a team,” Liberty Creek senior Ava Hourigan said. “It’s been really fun—and we’ve learned how to win.”
Win or lose, every program has found its footing in some way this season giving optimism for what should be a bright future for years to come.
“We had a good turnout at tryouts and we’re excited to welcome incoming students,” Station Camp coach Austin Coppinger said. “As divisions expand, so will the competition.”
Liberty Creek coach Stetson Dickerson noted that even some of the things he’s using for the girls side could be transitioned into what football fans see from the boys in the fall.
“Offensively, there’s some really creative stuff happening,” Dickerson stated. “I might even borrow a few wrinkles from what we’ve seen this season.”
