Why Girls Flag Football Is Exploding—and How Boardwalk Beasts, Boardwalk Belles and Coach Schuman Is Leading the Charge

The Rise of a New Gridiron Revolution

Something remarkable is happening on football fields across America. While the familiar crash of pads and helmets continues to dominate Friday nights in the fall, a different kind of football revolution is taking place alongside it—one where speed, strategy, and skill are the name of the game.

Girls flag football has exploded onto the youth sports scene, and the numbers don't lie. Since 2014, total flag football participation has surged from 5.5 million to over 7.3 million players nationwide, with girls and women now accounting for approximately 1.6 million of those athletes. What was once considered a playground pastime has transformed into one of the fastest-growing competitive sports for female athletes in the country.

Here at Boardwalk Beasts Football Club, we've had a front-row seat to this transformation—and through our Boardwalk Belles program, we're not just watching history unfold. We're helping write it.

Why Flag Football Is Capturing Hearts and Minds

The appeal of flag football for female athletes isn't hard to understand. It combines the strategic complexity and teamwork of traditional football while creating a more accessible entry point that emphasizes skill development over physical size.

"What we're seeing isn't just girls trying a new sport—it's athletes finding their perfect fit," explains Coach David Schuman, founder of Boardwalk Beasts and Boardwalk Belles. "Flag football rewards quick thinking, precise execution, and team chemistry. These athletes are developing incredible spatial awareness, decision-making skills, and confidence that transfers to everything they do off the field."

The sport's growth has been accelerated by several key factors:

Institutional Support from the Top Down

The NFL has thrown significant weight behind girls flag football, providing resources, equipment grants, and visibility to emerging programs. Their investment has helped legitimize the sport in the eyes of school administrators and athletic directors who previously might have been hesitant to add new girls' sports programs.

Currently, nine states sanction girls flag football as an official high school varsity sport, with that number expected to more than double in the next few years. Seventeen additional states are actively considering adding flag football to their athletic offerings—a tremendous vote of confidence in the sport's staying power.

A Strategic Alternative to Tackle Football

Flag football provides all the strategic complexity and excitement of traditional football without the same physical barriers to entry. Players develop passing skills, route-running precision, defensive coverage techniques, and game management—all transferable skills for athletes interested in any sport.

"The strategic elements are what hook many of our players," Coach Schuman notes. "They love the chess match aspect of calling plays, making pre-snap reads, and adjusting on the fly. The intellectual challenge combined with the physical skills creates this perfect storm of engagement."

College Pathways Opening Up

Perhaps most exciting for serious athletes is the rapid expansion of collegiate opportunities. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) now sanctions women's flag football as a championship sport, with dozens of colleges offering varsity programs and scholarships.

"When I tell our Boardwalk Belles players that their flag football skills could help pay for college, their eyes light up," says Coach Schuman. "These pathways simply didn't exist five years ago. Now we're sending highlight reels to college coaches and helping our athletes navigate recruiting conversations."

How Boardwalk Beasts and Boardwalk Belles Are Leading the Charge

At Boardwalk Beasts Football Club, we recognized the potential of girls flag football early. Under Coach Schuman's leadership, we launched the Boardwalk Belles program with a simple mission: provide the same level of elite coaching, competition, and development opportunities that our tackle football players receive.

Elite Coaching and Development

The Boardwalk Belles program doesn't take shortcuts. Our coaching staff applies the same detail-oriented approach to flag football that has made our tackle programs so successful. We break down techniques into teachable components, use film study to accelerate learning, and create competitive practice environments that prepare players for game situations.

"We don't dumb anything down," Coach Schuman emphasizes. "Our flag football playbooks are sophisticated, our defensive schemes are complex, and our expectations are high. These athletes rise to meet those expectations every single time."

Interested in seeing our approach in action? Check out our summer flag football program or visit our girls travel flag page for more information about upcoming opportunities.

Year-Round Competition

Unlike programs that treat flag football as a seasonal activity, Boardwalk Beasts and Boardwalk Belles offer year-round training and competition opportunities. Our summer leagues provide high-level competition in a structured environment, while our travel teams compete in regional tournaments against the best programs in the Northeast.

"Consistent competition is key to development," Coach Schuman explains. "We create opportunities for our athletes to test their skills against quality opposition throughout the year. That competitive experience is invaluable—it accelerates development and builds confidence."

Our summer flag football standings showcase the competitive nature of our leagues, while our championship events like the Summer Flag Final Matchups provide playoff atmospheres that prepare athletes for high-pressure situations.

Creating a Complete Athlete Development Pathway

What truly sets the Boardwalk Beasts and Boardwalk Belles programs apart is our commitment to long-term athlete development. We don't just teach football skills—we help players understand how to maximize their athletic potential through proper training, nutrition, and mental preparation.

"Flag football is teaching these athletes how to be complete competitors," notes Coach Schuman. "They're learning how to prepare their bodies and minds for competition, how to analyze opponents, how to communicate effectively with teammates, and how to perform under pressure. Those skills serve them regardless of what path they take in life."

The Olympic Factor: Flag Football's Global Moment

The momentum behind girls flag football received another massive boost recently with the announcement that flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This Olympic inclusion represents a watershed moment for the sport's visibility and legitimacy.

"Our Boardwalk Belles players were buzzing when they heard the Olympic news," Coach Schuman recalls. "Suddenly, they're not just playing a growing sport—they're playing an Olympic sport. That changes the conversation entirely."

The Olympic pathway creates a clear elite development track that extends from youth programs like Boardwalk Belles all the way to international competition. While that pinnacle may be years away for our current youth athletes, the aspirational element cannot be overstated.

"Having that Olympic dream out there matters," says Coach Schuman. "It gives players something to strive for beyond high school and college. It elevates the entire sport."

Join the Flag Football Revolution

The explosion of girls flag football isn't slowing down—it's accelerating. At Boardwalk Beasts Football Club, we're committed to staying at the forefront of this revolution through our Boardwalk Belles program and Coach Schuman's innovative approach to athlete development.

Whether your daughter is an experienced athlete looking for a new challenge or a newcomer curious about football, the Boardwalk Belles program offers a supportive environment designed to develop both athletic and life skills.

Interested in learning more? Visit our tryouts page for information about upcoming evaluations, or check out our practice schedule to see our programs in action.

Flag football isn't just the future of football—it's the present. And at Boardwalk Beasts and Boardwalk Belles, we're proud to be leading the charge.

Ready to join the fastest-growing sport in America? Contact Coach Schuman and the Boardwalk Beasts staff today through our website to learn about upcoming Boardwalk Belles opportunities.