Girls flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. The sport has seen tremendous growth in the last 10 years, especially on the high school level. In 2025, around 102K high school girls participated—a roughly 538% increase from 2001. In the last year alone, the number of schools reporting girls flag football participation has increased 46%. But popularity is growing among younger players as well: around 500K 6-17-year-old girls play on organized flag football teams in the U.S., and the number of 6-12-year-old girls playing flag increased 238% between 2015 and 2024. The sport will make its Olympic debut in 2028, which could spur even more of a boom. YPulse data shows that while the majority of tween girls do participate in sports, they’re less likely than boys to play on an organized team. Flag football could give them another path in: a reported 50% of girls participating have never played a sport before. (Morning Brew)
👀 Read more from YPulse: Tweens: Sports and Athletes report
