Brooke Carmody

STRATEGY IS KEY Head Coach Josh Goedl discusses game plays and strategy during a break. Athletes like senior Leigh Stout find that communication is an important aspect of the game. “Having a community that actually cares how you’re doing, cares about how you play, [and] your mental health, is a good type of team to depend on,” Stout said.

The rise of flag football as a high school sport has been nothing short of meteoric. Having just been made a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) approved sport in 2023, now over 100 Southern California schools participate in the program, according to Spotlight Schools. One of these schools is Mater Dei, whose historic first season had a total of 14 wins. Now, with the program in its sophomore year, the team plans to continue their victories and expand for the future of the sport. 

Flag football is a fall sport and the Monarchs had their first game this year against Rosary on Aug. 21. Mater Dei’s 32-26 victory showcases an exhilarating beginning to what promises to be an action-packed season. The team did not start with foundations in place, however. They had to be built from scratch. Head Coach Josh Goedl talks about how he and his coaching staff had to build from the ground up. 

“When we first started, there was nothing. So we had to get a program up and running from zero to go,” Goedl said. “I had three weeks to get set up to do a camp after that. And then once we started camp, we had four weeks until our first game.” 

Due to the recent establishment of the sport, many girls never had the chance to play beforehand. Many were coming from other sports, with little to no experience with football. Yet within the past year, Goedl has noticed a great change. 

“It’s funny because last year, there [were only] three girls that had ever played football before. Our freshman group alone had [around] 15 girls who have played [this] year, which is awesome,” Goedl said. 

The rules of flag football vary from those of the boys tackle football team, the most notable of which are the flags that players wear. Instead of tackling, the defense must rip the flags away from the opponents, which acts as a substitute for physical contact. However, the core value of community is shared by both flag and boys football. Coach Goedl speaks on its importance, and highlights how necessary community is in games. 

“I preach [to] the girls ‘do your 1/7 of your job and then trust your sisters to do theirs.’ Because if all seven people are doing their job, the other team really can’t be successful,” Goedl said. “As a group, you get a lot further together than you would as individuals.”

Flag football has presented an entirely new environment to many players. Senior Leigh Stout discusses why she joined the team, and how it has impacted her life at Mater Dei. 

“One of my friends on lacrosse, when I first transferred, told me to check it out,” Stout said. “[It] helped me develop more of a leadership role and [it] also helped me get more active in my day to day.”

Flag football is a sport open to students of various backgrounds. Players, such as Stout, are involved in multiple extracurriculars and are able to balance play with study. Stout shares how she is able to coordinate between all of her activities, and how collaboration is key to success. 

“Between the break periods I have [between] after school and flag football, I use [the time] doing homework or I’m out helping other people. I volunteer a lot, and I also do mock trial,” Stout said. “I was always communicating with [mock trial] about what I needed to do next. Having people that I can depend on and who are always there for me is a good support system to have.”

Flag football has grown significantly over the past year, and more people continue to join. Junior Melana Johnson elaborates on what prompted her to join the team, and what skills the sport helped her develop.  

“At the end of my freshman year, there was an email sent to our parents about Flag Football being a new sport to Mater Dei,” Johnson said. “My mom and I decided it would be a good option to try something new. Flag football definitely made me more in shape and faster when running, and I got to figure out how to manage sports and school at the same time.”

Flag football is not limited to those with experience; it is open to everyone. It offers many the chance to take part of a historic team and provides a strong community. Johnson speaks on the benefits of trying out, and going outside of your comfort zone. 

“Just stay confident and go for it. Flag football is a sport where you practice and get better while learning,” Johnson said. The coaches are extremely kind and I couldn’t ask for any different ones. If you want to join flag football, go for it!”