Atlanta Falcons Honor Trailblazers of Girls Flag Football in Georgia

May 12, 2022 – Atlanta, GA – Last night the Atlanta Falcons unveiled a new 30-foot dynamic wall display inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium dedicated to the trailblazers of high school girls flag football in the state of Georgia. The wall was unveiled during a private event that included close to 200 girls flag players and coaches, as well as representatives from the National Football League, the City of Atlanta, Georgia High School Association, the Falcons and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“Last night’s celebration of the evolution of high school girls flag football in Georgia was very special,” said Atlanta Falcons CEO and President Rich McKay. “To be able to see what started in one county cover six counties and then an entire state is remarkable. It’s a testament to the coordinated efforts of many. The fact that we can expand the game and give girls the opportunity to play in high school is incredible, because football is the ultimate team sport.”

Over the last six years, the Atlanta Falcons and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have worked to elevate girls flag football to be a sanctioned sport in Georgia in coordination with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and local high school athletic directors, coaches and players.

The wall unveiling reception was the culmination of combined efforts with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and the Blank Family Foundation, as Georgia became the fourth state to offer girls flag football as an official sanctioned sport in 2020.

The 60-by-30-foot marvel features eight girls flag football championship banners, four dynamic digital video boards and over 600 flags which represent each participating GHSA high school and the opportunity for expansion within the state. The wall also includes photographs of former and current athletes.

The reception, hosted by FOX 5’s Kelly Price, featured remarks from Falcons President and CEO Rich McKay, City of Atlanta Chief Equity Officer Qaadirah Abdur-Rahim, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent and others, before the wall was unveiled to those in attendance.

The Falcons and the Blank Family Foundation have made a significant investment in high school girls flag football in order to support and promote gender equality in sports offered at the high school level. They are, and remain, committed to supporting girls flag football throughout Georgia and the United States.

In 2021, the Falcons expanded their girls flag football outreach to Alabama and are making strides to develop programming in Montana. In fall of this year, there will be 230 high schools with more than 4,600 players participating in girls flag football throughout Georgia.

This weekend, in conjunction with the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Women’s Flag Finals on May 12-14, the Falcons will host the second-annual NAIA High School Showcase on Friday, May 13, to give Georgia and Alabama high school girls flag football athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills and the possibility to play at the collegiate level. In 2021, 39 showcase participants received scholarship offers onsite.

For more information about the Falcons girls flag football efforts, please visit here.

To learn more about the NAIA, please visit here.

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