The Arizona Cardinals will host an All-Star experience for Girls High School Flag Football during halftime of their preseason game against the New Orleans Saints. The Cardinals take on the Saints at State Farm Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 P.M. MST. It marks the first annual Cardinals High School Flag Football All-Star Experience and the third consecutive year the team has held Girls Flag Football games at State Farm Stadium.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!As part of the NFL’s Play Football initiative, there will be a game at halftime featuring 32 of the state’s best girls high school flag football players. Those 32 players have been selected across 20 different schools, selected by different area coaches and Cardinals representatives, to be a part of this opportunity.
The teams will be led by the head coaches who competed in the Arizona Girls High School Flag Football 5A and 6A Division State Championships last fall: Whitney Warmus of Mountain Ridge High School, Corey Beal of Canyon View High School, Jesus Arzaga of Mountain View High School and Brian Coger of Campo Verde High School.
Last month, the All-Stars were invited to the Dignity Health Arizona Cardinals Training Center for a content shoot and practice. The girls participated in an NFL style shoot in brand new, customized Cardinals jerseys. They then practiced in the team’s indoor practice bubble.
The #AZCardinals brought in 32 girls high school flag football players last month for a NFL style shoot in customized Cardinals jerseys. They'll play a game as part of an All-Star experience at halftime during the Cardinals vs. Saints Preseason Game. pic.twitter.com/AdIUcGiDNJ
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) August 8, 2024
The Cardinals have long supported girls flag football. Partnering with Arizona Family and State Farm, they are set to become the first NFL team to broadcast and fully-produce a Girls High School Flag Football of the Week this fall. Christian Gonzales of NFL.com adds that there will be eight games broadcast between September 17 and November 7.
Arizona is one of 12 states that offer girls high school flag football as a sanctioned sport. 57 high schools held a sanctioned girls flag football program in 2023, with that number expected to increase to over 100 in 2024. Flag football is expected to be added to the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be hosted in Los Angeles, California. It will be the first time the game of football will be a part of the Olympics, which has more than 20 million people participating across over 100 countries.
The NFL celebrates and supports youth football and high school football year-round. Through camps, activities, flag and tackle football leagues, the Play Football initiative provides a fun and engaging experience for players of all ages and skill levels to equip young people with key life skills that are building blocks to success on and off the field.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
