Athletic Director Chet Lines revealed that flag football has been a discussion in the state for the last few years. The 2024-2025 school year was the first time flag football started becoming an option for girls to play in certain schools across Illinois such as Oswego, Plainfield North, and Plainfield East. Now, Plainfield South offers it as well.
Flag football is a less contact-intensive sport that gives girls an opportunity to have a similar experience to football. Essentially, it’s playing football without tackling. Instead, players try to grab flags off their opponents.
Once Plainfield began showing interest in the sport, it was about a six month long discussion of equipment and funds before it was decided that all four high schools would offer the sport this school year.
“At the conference level let’s say about half the teams had teams last year and now every team in our conference [has] a flag football team,” Lines said.
Alana Warren is the head coach of varsity, and the overall team. Katherine Peters and Tyler Bockhol coach junior varsity.
Bockhol is an alumnus of South who has coached flag football for six years.
“I definitely would like to see the program grow to the point where they need a freshman team. We’re hoping to get a lot more girls in the next couple years. Being that it’s a brand new program the first year it’s a bit of a learning curve,” Bockhol said.
Bockhol also notes how hard the girls have worked with a sport that most of them have never played before.
Junior Ciara Thompson became captain and quarterback of the JV team. Thompson has two years left to play, and states the game has become important to her.
“I have to guide this team until the end. That’s what I plan on doing I’m not letting go. I have pride and faith in all of them. I trust them all and I hope I can be the best captain I can,” Thompson said.
There was summer training to introduce and teach girls about the sport. They trained for about 90 minutes in the weight room and an additional 90 minutes on the field.
“We had it every Tuesday and Thursday [where] we’d be outside. Then on Wednesdays and Mondays we’d be in the weight room,” junior, Kenzie Bergman said.
Bergman, a varsity wide receiver, tried out with her friends and ended up having a lot of fun on the team.
The athletic department says they are excited for kids to get involved in our school with this new opportunity.
The girl’s final flag football game will be at Romeoville on Oct. 1.