Girls' and Women's Sports Shaping the Park Landscape

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Flag football has been making gains across the board, and the growth doesn't appear to be confined to any one area of the country, nor to any one age group. Its strength, however, seems to be its appeal to girls and women, all of whom are taking up the sport at all levels.

High school? Absolutely. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) reported the number of participants in girls' flag football had more than doubled between the school years of 2022-23 and 2023-24. A total of 42,955 girls participated in flag football in 2023-24 compared to 20,875 the previous year, marking an increase of 105 percent.

College? More great news. The sport is seeing explosive growth, much the way beach volleyball did.

Within the NCAA, women's flag football is expected to be added to the Emerging Sports for Women's Program, following a membership vote at the organization's convention.

This move, however, comes on the heels of two other collegiate organizations, the National Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NAIA) and the National Junior College Association (NJCAA) who had been officially sponsoring the sport.

Expect the growth to continue. In 2028, flag football (for both men and women) will be a showcase sport in the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Fun fact: Team USA has won the Flag Football World Championship six times (men's team) and three times (women's team). Additionally, the sport is one of the most popular offerings at adult sport and social clubs nationwide.

All this adds up to an excellent opportunity for excellent opportunity for parks.

Photo courtesy of American Athletic Track and Turf

One note, however: Unlike many sports, the field size for flag football can vary, and the size can depend upon the rules being followed:

• NFL FLAG, the largest youth football league in the world, promulgates a field 30 yards wide and 70 yards long, with two 10-yard end zones and a midfield line-to-gain. Additionally, the game is played in a small-sided (5v5) format.
• NAIA has fields that are 40 yards wide and have four 20-yard zones with two 10-yard end zones.
• NJCAA follow the Reigning Champs Experiences (RCX) rules for the sport. These may be found online.
• USA Football specifies fields as being 30 yards by 53 1/3 yards with two 10-yard end zones (but also notes that some organizations may use smaller fields because of playing space available or to complete tournament scheduling on time).
• The National Federation of State High School Associations has released its own set of rules, which include three field configurations. These rules apply to a 7v7 game.

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Another place flag football is taking off is at the adult sport and social club level. Because teams (and fields) tend to be smaller, organization and scheduling is easier. This also allows former high school and college athletes to continue to be active in the sport they love, and to forge new connections and new friendships when they move to other cities.

Parks are a center of club and social sport activity, with many clubs actively taking over recruitment, scheduling and fee collection – something that is often appreciated by department officials who may be short-staffed.

Some suggested resources for rules and guidelines on flag football:

• National Federation of State High School Associations: www.nfhs.org
• NFL FLAG: nflflag.com
• Reigning Champs Experiences: rcxsports.com
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics: www.naia.org
• USA Football: www.usafootball.com and www.usafootball.com/national-team/rules

What Else Can Your Park Host?

Another sport on the grow, and one you're likely to see played in parks, is volleyball. While the traditional game is played indoors and often in rec centers, parks also have seen great success with grass volleyball leagues, as well as snow volleyball leagues for wintertime play.

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Beach volleyball is also popular, and more parks are adding facilities – even parks that are landlocked. The American Sports Builders Association (ASBA) has information on court construction; this can prove helpful for those seeking to build their own courts from the ground up.

Pickleball and tennis are also both growing. Separate facilities are recommended to manage the growth for each sport. This can also help ease congestion and avoid friction between players who are trying to compete for time on the same court.

Photo courtesy of Activitas Inc.

Photos courtesy of GA Sports Construction and Huntress Associates, Inc.

Maintenance is Key to Successful Programs

Of course, with increasing popularity of sports, whether that's flag football, pickleball or anything else, comes the need to develop and adhere to a regular plan for maintenance. Rather than turning to the web for ideas, however, it's best to partner with experts in sports facility construction and maintenance.

The American Sports Builders Association: How Can We Help Your Park?

ASBA is a nonprofit association and the national organization for builders, design professionals and suppliers of materials for athletic facilities. Its membership includes nearly 700 design professionals, builders and suppliers engaged in sports facility construction.

ASBA has a number of resources available to those seeking more information on keeping their athletic facilities updated and in good repair; these are as follows:

Design Showcase App: ASBA's free mobile app that offers diagrams of various sports facilities, including those mentioned below. It is a great starting point for those who want to find out about the necessary space considerations, markings and more.

ASBA's Online Directory: ASBA's website allows the reader to explore its Find a Builder, Designer or Supplier feature free of charge, using location or area of expertise.

ASBA's Bid Info Request Form: Allows users to provide information on upcoming projects and hear from the professionals who are best equipped to help with those projects.

Information on Certified Builders: Many of ASBA's Builder members have received voluntary certification in constructing tennis courts, running tracks or sports fields, or have received the Association's pickleball court construction certificate.

ASBA's Library of Publications: ASBA offers a full complement of books on sports facilities, designed to inform the reader on design, construction, surface selection, budgeting, maintenance and more. Publications are available in hard copy or PDF format.

ASBA's sport-specific publications cover tennis courts, sports fields, pickleball courts, padel courts and running tracks.

One publication that may be particularly valuable to park officials is Courts & Recreational Surfaces: Construction and Maintenance Manual, which includes information on a variety of sports facilities. It can be invaluable to park and rec professionals, since it includes information ranging from basketball to beach volleyball to adaptive sports and beyond.

Technical Articles: ASBA has authored articles for a wide variety of trade publications; all can be accessed free of charge.

Your park deserves the best – and so do all those who use it. Need more information? Have questions? Reach out to ASBA:

www.sportsbuilders.org | info@sportsbuilders.org | 443-640-1042