KSHB 41 News anchor Taylor Hemness reports on stories across Kansas, including a focus on consumer issues. You can contact Taylor by email.
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The Kansas City Chiefs want you to join them in the effort to make flag football a sanctioned sport for girls in the state of Kansas.
Representatives from the team will be at some Kansas Hy-Vee stores on Thursday to hand out Let Her Play flags and keychains and ask people to support the initiative.
On April 23, the Kansas State High School Activities Association will vote on whether to sanction the sport. Right now, girls flag football teams exist, but only in the pilot program phase.
I spoke to Sheila Sickau, director of football development for the Chiefs, about the team’s push to get this approved.
Her job over the last couple of years has included visiting school districts across the state to sell them on the idea.
"We started with two schools, then 11 schools, then this past season we had 29,” Sickau told me. “Wichita came on board to be on the ballot in 2024. Olathe East had 60 girls come out for the team, then it continued to build where we're at now."
There has been some pushback from schools. Sickau said some are worried about other sports losing players to flag football.
"Well, even if you pull her away from volleyball, you just opened up a spot for a girl that got cut from the team to now fill that spot,” Sickau said. “So, truly, we're just creating as many opportunities as possible for these girls."
Sickau told me roughly half of the girls who express an interest in trying out for a school team have never participated in a sport before.
If you support the plan, you can click here to sign the digital petition.
The KSHSAA board is made up of superintendents, principals and athletic directors from across the state.
If sanctioned as a sport, Sickau envisions a future where girls are competing on school flag football teams for high school state championships.
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