This spring season at Mid-Pacific, a brand new sport makes its debut: Girls’ Flag Football. One of only 14 states to introduce it so far, Hawaii public and private schools across the island have sanctioned varsity flag football teams and implemented the new program.
After the National Football League (NFL) and the Hawaii High School Athletic Association partnered to make flag football a high school sport available to all public schools, Mid-Pacific followed suit and started their own team.
“There was a group of girls who made it a point to stop by my office every week– daily– to let me know that we needed flag football. Here we are just a few months later and they are putting in the work, just like any of our other teams. We will take it one practice at a time,” Athletic Director and Flag Football Coach Kena Heffernan said.
Hawaii’s involvement in the NFL’s new youth flag football league spans island-wide, with all high school leagues participating throughout the season before culminating in a state tournament that will take place at the end of April. Mid-Pacific’s team plays their first game on March 18th.
“We are excited to offer more opportunities for our girls and for the community to rally behind,” Herffernan said. “Our goal is to attract more girls who may not have participated in a spring sport previously, as well as provide a home for our dual-sport athletes, if they’re able to commit.”
For many students, flag football serves as an opportunity to become more involved in their school community while being part of a new program.
“I’m really excited for this flag football season because I wasn’t really interested in any of the spring sports, and this is a new sport that no one has tried before, so it’s kind of exciting,” junior Leilani Moran-Hurtt said.
The team’s manager, senior Kyler Agan, became involved with the program due to a personal interest in football and was intrigued by the opportunity to be part of Mid-Pacific’s brand new connection with the sport.
“I think it’s great as it gives girls a chance to play football,” Agan said. “I love football, and being able to teach/coach the sport to my classmates is something that was interesting and exciting to me.”
In addition to starting this program, Mid-Pacific recently rejoined PAC-5 for football and competitive cheer. Given that Mid-Pacific has not had a football team since 2023, the new team may provide an exciting cause for Mid-Pacific’s student body to rally behind.
“I think it gives our school a chance to support a football team, as we are part of PAC-5 for football [now],” Agan said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how we perform during games, and being able to play home games. I’m excited to see the atmosphere that it brings.”
According to senior Tori Tokuda, the flag football program serves as both a new school spirit activity and a way to branch out into the community.
“Getting involved with activities outside the school day, like flag football, helps create friendships that strengthen our Mid-Pacific community. I’ve been able to talk to other girls I never would’ve talked to had I not played flag football,” Tokuda said.
Though the program is just starting out for both Mid-Pacific students and Hawaii’s schools, it already provides a new opportunity for campus-wide morale and promises an exciting season ahead.
“I’m excited to see how the program will grow. There’s a lot of excitement among the underclassmen and I can’t wait to see how the program will continue to expand,” Tokuda said.
