When many think of the sport “football,” they think of the sport that plays on national television or is well-renowned throughout high school. This being said, football is often viewed as a sport that is only for boys. At Ayala, as well as throughout California, Girls Flag Football was introduced during fall of 2023 as a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) sanctioned sport. For some, it meant that they could finally participate in the sport they loved at school. For others, it was a completely different opportunity to step out of their comfort zone.

“Watching the girls get excited about a new sport and willing to try something new that wasn’t like anything they ever tried before and give it their all and come out and work hard everyday no no matter what was asked,” Coach Amy Campbell said. 

In Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD), flag football was not introduced until spring of 2024, despite its approval in fall of 2023. For this reason, a certified league was not made, and instead it was decided that all schools in CVUSD would simply play against one another. These games were considered “scrimmages,” but they meant much more than that to the coaches and players. 

On February 20, flag football held their first official practice in the gym. The coaches and players did not know what was going to happen, as it was unfamiliar to everyone involved. There was so much to learn, from buying the correct equipment, to learning how to catch the ball. Starting from scratch was going to be an arduous task to overcome, but with the first game in a month, it was going to have to do.

On March 20, flag football’s very first game in the history of Ayala would be held. It was a home game against the Ganesha Giants, which Ayala sadly lost. However, it was the first of six more games to come, and each game would hopefully hold a better result. This game was a pre-season game and the actual league would begin two weeks later with a game against Chino Hills. 

Out of the six games that were played in the league, Ayala’s record ended up being 1-5. Even though this was not the result that everyone wanted, it was the improvement spanning the season that really stood out. Every game and every practice, the girls strived to be better than they were the day before. With every game that was lost, the motivation to be better excelled. This specifically paid off when they won their first game.

“[My favorite moment was] when we won against Don Lugo,” Caroline Schwartz (12) said. “I feel like it brought us all together and we got a lot more confidence”

This season was not as prosperous as the coaches and the players may have hoped for, but despite all the losses, this first season will undeniably be memorable. It brought plenty of firsts for everyone involved, and with it came room for continued development as well as hope for the future. 

“I don’t think I’ll miss anything from this season,” Coach Campbell said. “The big thing is going to be that we are growing from it and so from where we are starting to where we are going to be”

With Schwartz being the only senior on the team, most of the Varsity girls will be returning next year and are actively looking forward to the upcoming season. The first official game for the 2024-2025 season will be on August 10. It is still undetermined where it will take place and who it will be against. Still, the team will be preparing throughout the summer to get ready for a successful season. 

“[I’m looking forward to] playing with the incoming freshmen because some of them are going to be my friends or are generally good and seeing how much better we get [our] chemistry together,” Vyolet Munoz (9) said. 

Currently, the girls flag football varsity team will now be playing in the Showdown Series SD7, outside of the school sanctioned league. These games will be held at El Toro High School in Lake Forest every Sunday until May 19. Ayala girls flag football summer camps will be from June 1 to June 24 from 2:00-5:00 pm. Following this, tryouts will be held on June 25 and 26 for anyone interested in playing for the 2024-2025 school year.