In September, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) sanctioned Girls Flag Football as an official sport in Pennsylvania.
The game is continuing to grow, with the Philadelphia Eagles helping drive women's sports to the next level.
The Eagles launched their own Girls Flag Football League, in partnership with Gatorade, The Bellwether District, and Planet Fitness, in 2022 with 16 teams from the Philadelphia Public and Catholic Leagues. Today, on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, it sits at 92 teams in Pennsylvania with another 32 teams from New Jersey.
Now, ahead of the 88th Maxwell Football Club Awards, the Eagles have nominated Abington Senior High School Flag Football Player Maya Johnson. This will be the first year the National Girls Flag Player of the Year will be presented at the Maxwell Awards on March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
The Maxwell Football Club is home to several of football's most prestigious awards, including the Maxwell, Chuck Bednarik, and Bert Bell Awards. The award is presented each year to an outstanding player based on on-field performance, academic achievement, and community service.
"Anybody who watches her is extremely impressed. Maya is complimented by everyone, including the referees. They're impressed with her ability. It's not only her athletic ability in regard to playing. She came to us our first year and she was like, 'I'm going to be your quarterback,' and we were like, 'OK, let's see what you got.' She earned that spot very quickly," Abington Flag Football Coach Melissa Brizzell said.
"What makes her stand out as to why she earns this, in my opinion, is she's not just a phenomenal athlete. She's a phenomenal leader. I've always been impressed with how she works with the other players on the team. She's extremely good at making them feel that they're great and can be successful. She always takes responsibility, and she has a very humble aura around her that I think brings a lot of calmness. But the girls know she can always do what she needs to get it done and we as coaches trust her 100 percent."
Johnson wasn't afraid to enter the world of Flag Football, and she wants to watch the sport continue to grow each year.
"Just go for it. You never know how far it could take you. You never know who's watching. You never know how good you could be at something until you really put yourself in that position to do well and actually play whatever sport or whatever you want to do," said Johnson, who guided Abington High School to the Eagles Girls Flag Football League of Pennsylvania Championship in 2023.
The Eagles' support for girls in sports goes beyond the league it has created, because without the proper equipment, the path to successful women's sports would be that much more difficult.
The Eagles have made an effort to ensure every girl who needs a sports bra in Philadelphia gets one thanks to a partnership with Operation Warm. With Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, the organization has donated sports bras to Girls on the Run in New Orleans in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. The Eagles have previously worked with the Philadelphia chapter of Girls on the Run and wanted to show love to the New Orleans community during this Super week.
"I appreciate everything the Eagles have done to help create the league, to help support us. I mean, they have gone above and beyond to support us in many ways. We did a clinic and they had SWOOP and the Eagles Cheerleaders there. They are definitely 100 percent behind supporting Girls Flag Football," Coach Brizzell said.
"My biggest thing as a coach is, I love winning, but I love giving these girls positive experiences. You only get to be in high school once. So, the fact that they have been able to go down to Lincoln Financial Field and play there, that they have played at the NovaCare Complex and play or won a state championship, and got these awesome ranks – they will hold onto these memories and be telling their grandkids these stories. It's been awesome to be a part of and I'm so grateful of the Eagles."
The Eagles' Girls Flag Football League has nearly 2,250 girls playing throughout the Eastern side of Pennsylvania and close to 3,000 girls playing across the state.
For Johnson, the honor from her hometown team is one that will last a lifetime.
"I think it's great, honestly. My parents are huge Eagles fans, so when we went for a game, they loved it. I'm loving it, I grew up an Eagles fan. So, it's really nice to kind of be recognized by people I used to look up to," Johnson said.
"It's (flag football) kind of given me freedom, like the freedom that you have with it. You can really do anything that you're good at. Luckily, I can run, I'm good at running, I'm able to throw the ball around and catch. Really whatever I choose to do, which is why I really enjoy it."
Johnson wasn't afraid to enter the world of Flag Football, and she wants to watch the sport continue to grow each year.
As Girls Flag Football will continue to evolve around the country, Maya Johnson and Coach Melissa Brizzell are excited to be a part of the process.
"I think it's exciting to see how it's starting to move from high school to now starting to go into the collegiate sport. Over the next couple of years, it's going to be at the club level, but then soon it will go into Division II schools, and then hopefully Division III schools. I think that's really a phenomenal aspect of how it's continuing to grow. Just seeing that happen gives more opportunities for girls to play," Brizzell said. – Written by Liam Wichser
