I used to be taking a stroll in an area park this fall once I ran right into a neighbor. He works with Chicago Public Faculties, and he talked about that the primary state championship in ladies flag soccer would quickly be underway, and that I ought to cowl it.
I used to be instantly due to my expertise as a scholar athlete. I wished to satisfy the rivals and see the fledgling sport by way of their eyes.
After receiving the inexperienced mild from my editor, I appeared up the championship bracket. I landed on a matchup between Taft Excessive, a Chicago public college, and Loyola Academy, a Wilmette Catholic college, who have been set to compete for his or her regional championship.
The stakes have been excessive. So excessive that previous to the sport, the Taft coach informed me he had signed as much as host this explicit October match all the way in which again in February as a result of he wished his ladies to win regionals at house. February was when ladies flag soccer grew to become a state-sanctioned sport.
I bear in mind the stakes being simply as excessive for me once I performed tennis in school. We skilled all fall with a single aim in thoughts: to win our convention championship come spring. Each fitness center exercise and follow session led to that remaining second on the finish of the season the place you stepped out on courtroom and gave it your all. Typically I’d get so nervous earlier than these matches that I couldn’t sleep, and once I’d step out on courtroom, my arms would shake. Nonetheless, I managed to assist my school workforce win a convention championship.
That’s why I wished to report on the women flag soccer championship — as a result of I figured all the women competing had skilled simply as onerous and wished to win simply as badly as my teammates and I did again within the day.
However I additionally puzzled how these ladies had gotten into flag soccer, a sport so younger that it solely bought its first Chicago league three years in the past. I had grown up watching Maria Sharapova demolish her opponents on TV and dreamed that I too may try this sometime. Who did these ladies develop up idolizing?
I requested Cassandra Rothbart that query through the Taft sport towards Loyola. Rothbart, who coaches Taft’s junior varsity flag soccer workforce, informed me she grew up watching the Chicago Bears along with her dad at a time when there weren’t any girls within the sport. Searching on the Taft ladies from the sideline she stated, “I want we had this 20 years in the past so I may have performed.”
Maylin Nunez, Taft’s quarterback, informed me she grew up watching her brothers play soccer. Throughout their video games, she practiced throwing with them.
Watching Nunez lead Taft to a 7-6 victory that October Friday evening underneath the blazing stadium lights was exhilarating. As the sport clock ran out and the Taft Eagles charged onto the pitch to rejoice, I virtually ran with them, as I had completed numerous instances to rejoice my very own workforce’s victories in school. And once I caught up with Nunez after the sport to ask how she was feeling, her arms have been shaking.
The day my story ran, I acquired this observe from a reader who thanked me for protecting the sport:
“My husband and I officiated three dozen or so flag soccer video games this fall and what enjoyable we had. We gave up officiating ladies’ highschool area hockey in order that we’d have open days for flag. The range in flag soccer and the athleticism is what drew us to the game. As a sporty woman myself I’d have liked the chance to have performed flag soccer in highschool. Seeing that I can’t play, the subsequent neatest thing I can do is make sure that these gamers have certified officers that wish to be part of the sport and respect the hassle on the sector.”
There’s additionally enthusiasm for the game on the faculty degree, with universities beginning up their very own flag soccer groups and providing gamers extra scholarship alternatives.
On the skilled degree, all eyes are on Los Angeles, the place the game is ready to make its Olympics debut in 2028. Maybe it’ll pave the way in which for a brand new era of women to develop up idolizing feminine soccer gamers, and even dreaming of going professional.
Anna Savchenko is a reporter for WBEZ. You’ll be able to attain her at asavchenko@wbez.org.
