Flag Foundations: How Women's Flag Football at ASU is Making History

Reporter: Serenity Reynolds

TEMPE, Ariz – Arizona State University sophomore students Sierra and Sophia Smith aim to bring representation and inclusion to the male-dominated sport of flag football as they start the first-ever women’s club flag football team at ASU. 

As founder and club president, Sierra created and officially founded the team in February and is joined by her twin sister and club vice president, Sophia, for their first official season this fall.

Sierra’s purpose for founding the team was to give women at the collegiate level a chance to play flag football since there usually is none post-high school. Sierra said what initially set her back was the lack of support from ASU and her advocation as to why and how a women’s team would be beneficial to the school. 

“It was rough getting ASU on board and explaining our vision to them and letting them know how big this sport truly is and how big it's going to be,” Sierra said. 

As a woman of color, Sierra said that female-cultural representation is critical, especially of how fast the sport is growing, and that diversity throughout the sport serves as a reminder that anyone is welcome. 

“Our team is very diverse…that’s what truly makes us a family,” Sierra said. 

The women’s club flag football team meets twice a week for practice with a roster of 25 athletes, four coaches, two safety officers, and one equipment manager. The Smith twins not only play for the team, but conduct all of the business, scheduling, team’s

media representation, and funding. Since the club was started “by women for women”, Sophia said that one thing that has been a bonus was female input on the creation of designs and jerseys. 

“Being a woman that did create the team, it comes with a lot of stuff like the design of uniforms,” said Sophia. “In designing those uniforms, you know what other women like, especially with the colors and how the uniforms fit your body”.

Freshman player, Emily Pablo, said that it is important and empowering that women of color are not only a part of activities like these but hold positions of power within male-dominated spaces. 

“It takes a lot of courage especially when a lot of people consider this a typical man’s sport,” Pablo said. 

The players on the team expressed that the team’s energy, relations, and connection to each other is something special and something they wouldn’t have gotten by joining a regular on-campus club or intramural team. 

“I had no connection to the team before I got here and as I’m getting closer to the players, we’re all learning each other and getting closer by being here and supporting each other,” said Zaria Abalo-Torres, a freshman student at ASU’s Polytechnic campus. 

The team hosted a summer prospect camp, a summer youth camp, and official fall tryouts with around 80 girls in attendance. Additionally, local news outlet Arizona’s Family invited the Smith twins to talk about the club team and their creation purpose behind it. The twins both said they are ready to get the season going with their first game on Jan. 31.