Rockford University athletes coach first girls’ flag football team in the city

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Park District organized the first middle school girls’ flag football team at the Stateline for girls in 6th through 8th grades.

Girls’ flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports nationally at the high school level and it is now an Illinois High School Association sanctioned sport. Many universities around the area have also taken up the sport at various levels.

Rockford University (RU) was the first college in the State of Illinois to offer a competitive women’s flag football program. Athletes from the team help coach the Park District team.

“We want to make sure that they know that they have a future ahead of them, that this isn’t just a boys’ sport,” one coach Gina Neils said. “There is more than just playing in a little league and stuff like that. You can go to the higher level and play.”

Neils said this group of girls show a lot of strength when it comes to trying something new and she credited the parents for signing them up.

“Without them, most of these girls wouldn’t really be here, so I give props to the parents for that and also for the girls for coming out because I know a lot of them were scared, didn’t feel as athletic, nervous, especially when they had their first game,” Neils said. “A lot of them were scared of messing up but they definitely went out there and showed all the talent that they had and gave it their all.”

The team has athletes from all over the area, representing Rockton, Roscoe and Rockford. One athlete said the leadership from the RU girls has been inspirational and motivating.

“I look up to them because they play, and I want to be like them and go to college like them for flag,” Cavayia Williams said. “My coaches are really good actually, and so I want to be like my coaches.”

The girls at RU said this team is an example of supporting the growth of women’s sports.

“Show up, show your support, it really shows these girls that what they’re doing matters because it does,” coach Emily Delrosario said. “It matters to us because we’re first-time college athletes. We’re the first in this program, so for us to be here for them, it matters for them to be here, and it shows the people that come after them that they matter. Just show your support.”

The team plays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday at the Clarence Hicks Memorial Sports Park.

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