The West Alameda County Conference (WACC) held their second-annual girls’ flag football Varsity Jamboree Saturday, September 14 at Mount Eden High School in Hayward. Nine WACC high schools competed against each other in preseason scrimmages.
After the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) approved girls’ flag football as a new sport for the 2023-24 season, WACC held an inaugural jamboree last year to help teams find preseason opponents.
“Because it was a new sport, everybody was having a hard time trying to get some preseason games,” Gary Duran, a jamboree organizer and Mount Eden’s athletic director, said. “So, we said, ‘if we bring all the schools in, and they can play multiple teams in one day, that would be a great opportunity.’”
This year, the event returned due to popular demand, with Alameda, Arroyo, Castro Valley, Hayward, Encinal, Mount Eden, Piedmont, San Leandro and Tennyson high schools all opting to participate.
With flag football’s novelty as an official high school sport, athletes often have no prior experience. As a result, teams focused on familiarizing players in preparation for the jamboree.
“A lot of girls had fear just trying something new,” Mount Eden head coach Ty Tobin said. “[I showed] them the game, using some film from YouTube and Instagram, and some cool moves they can do when they get confident with learning the game.”
In addition to gaining exposure, athletes dove into flag football’s fundamentals heading into the jamboree.
“A lot of the players are new, but our team learns new things really quickly, so we just went straight into it,” said Tyra Drake, a wide receiver on Tennyson High School’s (Hayward) team. “Over the summer we ran routes a lot, and did a lot of defensive [work].”
During the event, each team played at least three matches — showing their potential, as well as inexperience.
“Arroyo High School had some crazy defense, not going to lie,” Kevin Alvarez Garcia, a spectator, said. “But [all the teams] still have to work on the basics, and move on from there.”
Despite the sport’s learning curve, many are optimistic about the future of flag football in the WACC and California.
“I think it’s one of the fastest growing sports in the area, and I see it becoming a mainstay in fall sports for the ladies’ side of CIF,” Duran said.
Coaches, players and fans also hope to see more girls participate in ensuing seasons.
“My message to girls is give it a try,” Tobin said. “Be okay with being uncomfortable, because through that [discomfort], you’re going to find out just how good you really are.”
