As the springtime draws nearer and the winter months die down, a new sport will be joining the Big Island Interscholastic Federation starting next weekend.
For the first time in Hawai‘i history, girls flag football will be an official HHSAA sport, and the BIIF will field 14 teams — Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Hilo, Honoka‘a, Kamehameha Schools-Hawai‘i, Kanu, Ka‘u, Kea‘au, Kealakehe, Konawaena, Kohala, Laupahoehoe Pahoa, Parker and Waiakea.
The official announcement was made in Aug. 2024 at McKinley High School on O‘ahu, with the HHSAA teaming up with multiple corporations to make the vision possible. The sport will be played in a 7-on-7 format, with an official state tournament being held the week of April 21. Hawai‘i is the 12th state to institute the game as an official high school sport.
The inaugural season will be covered through private sponsorships, with the NFL and Seattle Seahawks providing funds for equipment. Uniforms will be covered by Nike, while the Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA) will provide protective headwear. Hawaii Dental service is providing flags and mouthguards.
“With the potential for 1,000 female athletes statewide to participate in the inaugural season, these young women are not just making history — they are trailblazing a path for future generations of female high school athletes. Their involvement will inspire and empower countless others in the years to come,” HIDOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “The Department appreciates the partnership with HHSAA, our generous sponsors and our dedicated athletic directors and school administrators for providing this historic opportunity.”
For many of the girls trying out this season, the sport will be a new, exciting challenge. Most have never played organized football before, and have spent the last week of practices learning the ins and outs of the game before the season begins. Teams are currently unfamiliar with their competition with it being the first season, adding an element of parody while giving squads the advantage of playing freely.
“For me, it was about exploring the new sport,” HPA senior Miyabi Wahl told West Hawaii Today at a recent practice. “It seemed like a fun team sport to pursue.”
“I’m excited, because this is the first time we’ve ever had this sport in high school,” Kealakehe junior Alyssa Washington said. “I’ve never played organized football, only backyard.”
The learning curve for the game may be easier for others, though. Although Ka Makani’s Madie Buczyna has never played in an organized format, the junior is confident in her knowledge of football.
“I’ve grown up watching football and understand the rules,” she said. “But this sport has a little spin on it, and being able to have a varsity option is just a really cool opportunity.”
However, a handful of BIIF girls have played Big Island Pop Warner flag football, including Waveriders junior ‘Iolani Alapa‘i. She also played one year of tackle.
“I’m excited for this, because I’ve played the sport before,” Alapa‘i said. “Having it as a high school sport is a great opportunity to have. You can really go far with the sport.”
The new state sport will also give the girls an opportunity to take their game to new heights, even beyond the field. In recent years, organizations such as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) have opened up scholarship opportunities to women’s flag football players. With flag football arriving to Hawai‘i high schools, girls now have another avenue of securing their academic futures.
“I don’t think it really hit the girls until they saw the Super Bowl commercial (of flag football),” Kealakehe head coach Gabe Valentin added. “They’re seeing that this is something that you can actually go to college for through scholarships. So this is super exciting for all of them.”
Valentin has previous experience with flag football, coaching Pop Warner for over a decade. Knowing how to build a team, he saw the opportunity of leading the ‘Riders as something he couldn’t pass up.
“I put my name out there, got (the position) and I’ve been super excited about it ever since,” Valentin added.
The BIIF had no shortage of playing interest leading up to this week. For HPA, the interest was sparked right off the bat, and now the red and white have 23 players on the roster.
“We had a tremendous amount of interest right away,” Ka Makani coach Lauren Prutow-McKenna said. “We have a school that is full of really athletic, intelligent, fun-loving females that are ready to throw down. And when flag football came up as an option, they were all really excited.
“We had a huge turnout, and it’s really exciting to build a foundation and to have a team full of phenomenal females.”
Prutow-McKenna had previous experience coaching high school and collegiate athletics, but has never coached 7-on-7 football. Thus far, she has embraced the new challenge — looking forward to growing alongside the girls.
“I grew up in a football family,” she explained. “My dad was a huge football coach, and I loved growing up around it. This will be a fun and exciting adventure for me. I’m looking forward to helping build this team.”
HPA will be hosting a preseason tournament next weekend to kick off its slate of games — scheduled to face Waiakea and Kea‘au. In Ka Makani’s first few practices, the team has honed in on getting to know one another and mastering the fundamentals, hoping their chemistry will only grow as the season progresses.
“They’re really looking forward to playing together and building a team culture that will carry over for years to come,” Prutow-McKenna added. “We talk a lot about what it means to be a varsity athlete and to build camaraderie. And they’ve all exemplified that early, so I think it’s going to be a great season.”
“I’m looking forward to our team bonding together, and just getting better and better every practice,” HPA junior Lehia Akau said.
“We are really looking forward to kicking some butt, learning the rules, winning some games and giving other teams some tough competition,” Buczyna said. “It’s the first year, so we can only go up from here. Being able to build a legacy as we grow as teammates and people will be really awesome to look back on in the future.”
Kealakehe is keeping a similar mindset to HPA, focusing on having fun, growing as a team and building a lasting legacy for all future Waverider flag football teams. So far, Kealakehe has nearly 40 girls on its roster. Its first game will be against Hilo next weekend on the road.
“I’m more focused on the development than anything else,” Valentin said. “I’m not really a win-first type of coach — I want us to be competitive and book our tickets to state, but my goal really is for the girls to understand and set the tone for the future. They’re the first team (in school history), and they set the standard. Hopefully, they can encourage girls in the future to come try out.”
“A successful season would be all of us getting to know the sport, developing and bonding with one another,” Alapa‘i said. “And winning would be a nice bonus.”
See the paper all spring to follow BIIF flag football coverage in its inaugural season.
