By Tara Aung
Staff Writer
Starting next fall, TCHS girls can represent their school in the district’s first ever flag football team. This initiative aligns with CIF’s efforts to increase inclusivity and athletic opportunities across the state. Many California high schools including Eagle Rock, La Cañada and San Marino have already introduced flag football, while others like Monrovia and South Pasadena are in the process of adding it to their athletic program.
With ongoing support from CIF, flag football is expected to become a staple in high school sports, with Rams making touchdowns in the Fall 2025 season.
Preparations for flag football started last school year. Sophomore Mia Oberlander, along with some friends, suggested the idea to the athletic director, Eric Chin, who later approved it. With this decision, approvals for a coaching hire, funding for necessary equipment and adjustments to the field space were processed.
The main challenges in implementing the sport are field availability and scheduling, as ongoing renovations create conflict with other sports like football and soccer, which also require the stadium turf for games and practices.
“Flag football finally became an official Varsity girls’ sport [in CIF], so I kept suggesting the idea,” Oberlander said. “Mr. Chin approached me asking if I wanted to help him get it started. He asked me to create a list of students who were interested, so I went around at the beginning of the school year collecting names.”
TCHS will announce flag football tryouts at the annual Freshman Sports Night in May. Students of all skill levels, even without prior experience, are encouraged to participate.
Flag football is a non-contact sport where teams compete to score points by playing offense or defense. The offense aims to move the ball across the field and past the goal line to score a touchdown, while the defense works to prevent this by blocking progress. Unlike traditional football, which involves tackling, flag football requires defenders to stop a play by pulling the flag(s) from the player with the ball before they reach the goal line.
“Flag Football gives us an opportunity to provide more opportunities for students to get involved so that they have a well-rounded experience,” Assistant Principal Anthony Chan said, “I think it [helps with] lots of different athletic qualities. It doesn’t just mean catching or running, it could be being very good at [improving] situational awareness.”