Student-Athlete Experience Aids Reporting on Illinois' Inaugural Girls Flag Football Playoffs
A chance encounter in a local park sparked my interest in covering the first Illinois state championship in girls’ flag football. My neighbor, who works with Chicago Public Schools, mentioned the upcoming event, and my own background as a student athlete immediately piqued my curiosity. I wanted to witness this burgeoning sport through the eyes of its young competitors.

After receiving approval from my editor, I focused on a regional championship game between Taft High School, a Chicago public school, and Loyola Academy, a private school from Wilmette. The stakes were incredibly high; Taft’s coach had even scheduled the October game back in February, when girls’ flag football became a state-sanctioned sport, hoping to secure a regional victory at home. This resonated deeply with my own experiences as a college tennis player, where the pressure and intense training leading up to championship matches were equally significant. I remembered the sleepless nights and shaking hands before crucial games, ultimately culminating in a conference championship win for my team.

My reporting focused not only on the intensity of the competition but also on the origins of these young athletes’ passion for the sport. Flag football is relatively new in Chicago, with its first league established just three years prior. I wondered who these girls looked up to, given the lack of prominent female role models in the sport until recently. Cassandra Rothbart, Taft’s junior varsity coach, shared her own experience growing up watching the Chicago Bears with her father, wishing for the opportunity to play flag football herself. Taft quarterback Maylin Nunez, meanwhile, described practicing throws with her brothers during their games.

Watching Taft’s 7-6 victory over Loyola under the stadium lights was exhilarating. The final moments mirrored my own collegiate celebrations, and even Nunez’s post-game shaking hands mirrored my own past experiences. The overwhelmingly positive response to my story, including a note from officials who were drawn to the sport’s diversity and athleticism, underscored the growing enthusiasm for girls’ flag football. This enthusiasm extends to the college level, with increased scholarship opportunities, and even the professional level, with the sport’s upcoming Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. This potential Olympic appearance could inspire a new generation of girls to dream of a professional career in flag football, creating female role models that were absent just a generation ago.

Anna Savchenko is a reporter for WBEZ. You can reach her at asavchenko@wbez.org.

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