Transcript from Broncos, CHSAA Press Conference for Girls Flag Football

AURORA – The Colorado High School Activities Association and the Denver Broncos held a joint press conference Wednesday morning at the Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse at Centura Health Training Center to celebrate Tuesday’s vote at the Legislative Council meeting to sanction girls flag football beginning with the 2024-25 school year.

The vote makes flag football the 33rd sport sanctioned by CHSAA and it will become the 18th sanctioned sport for girls in Colorado. Flag football will join the fall sports lineup and the first state champion will be crowned in Fall 2024.

A transcript from the opening statements and Q&A session is below:

OPENING STATEMENT from BRONCOS DIRECTOR OF YOUTH & HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BOBBY MESTAS 
“Good morning, everyone, I’m Bobby Mestas, Broncos Director of Youth & High School Football. I’m joined on stage by Broncos President Damani Leech, VP of Community Impact and Executive Director of the Denver Broncos Foundation Allie Engelken and CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger. Thank you all for being here, along with other athletic officials from our state.

“It’s also an honor to have Broncos Owner and Denver Broncos Foundation Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner here today.  Carrie, Greg and the entire Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group have provided tremendous resources and support for girls flag football and so many other high-impact youth programs. Thank you, Carrie, for your dedication to girls flag and our community.

“This is a historic day for Colorado and female high school athletics. Yesterday, the CHSAA Legislative Council sanctioned girls flag football as an official high school sport—making Colorado the 11th state to do so. We’ve come a long way, in a short amount of time. In December of 2021, and alongside three metro area school districts, conversations around the first girls flag pilot program began. After hundreds of games, two unofficial state tournaments, six CHSAA board and committee presentations with unanimous approvals, and many, many miles traveling across the state in support of girls flag—we are so proud to welcome this new sport.

“Thank you to everyone on this stage, at this press conference and throughout our community for championing girls high school athletics. A special thanks to the flag football committee, athletic directors, coaches, officials and to the 1,300 student athletes for taking a chance on an emerging sport. It is now my honor to welcome Broncos Owner and Foundation Board Chair Carrie Walton Penner!”

OPENING STATEMENT from BRONCOS OWNER CARRIER WALTON PENNER
“Thank you so much, Bobby – for that introduction, and for everything you have done across the state of Colorado to make this day possible. Bobby leads our youth football efforts in Colorado and Allie leads our Community Impact team. They have put their heart and soul into this effort every step of the way, and I am so grateful to them for their work.

“I also want to thank CHSAA , led by Commissioner Mike Krueger, along with the athletic directors and coaches who have supported and developed our pilot program. This has been an extraordinary partnership that includes support from the NFL, which has made flag football a key priority. Most of all, I want to recognize all the incredible young women—the student-athletes—who have made this a reality. Ultimately, it’s because of them that Colorado has joined 10 other states to sanction girls flag football as an official varsity sport.

“On behalf of our entire ownership group, we are so proud to celebrate this historic milestone.  As you all know, the Broncos are passionate about programs that help youth thrive mentally, emotionally and physically. And the truth is, what we’re commemorating today is not just another option for student-athletes. We’re talking about something different – something bigger, and more fundamental. Of the nearly 1,500 girls who took part in our flag football pilot programs across the state, most said that if they hadn’t been able to play flag football, they wouldn’t have played a fall sport at all.

“That’s why this moment matters. It matters for every girl who loves football but has never seen a place for herself. It matters for every student who has watched others find their passion. For every high school kid looking for her team, her people, her community – it matters. It’s also clear that this is part of a larger movement in which women’s sports are drawing attention like never before. These athletes are inspiring millions of individuals from every background, here in the United States and around the world – bringing people together in new ways, fostering new fan bases and creating new communities. With girls flag football in Colorado, more young women will be able to participate in a game they love. More young women will join teams and create relationships that last a lifetime.

“To all you trailblazing athletes who helped launch this sport: You have not only found your community – you have built one. I want these incredible girls to know that, as you continue making history, the entire Broncos organization and all of Broncos Country is on your team – and you are part of ours. Of course, every team needs a uniform. As you know, we just unveiled new uniforms, and I’ve got one here with me today. I’d like to present it on behalf of the Denver Broncos – and all of Broncos Country – to one of the amazing flag football student-athletes, Saylor Swanson. Saylor is a junior at Arvada West High School, and a 2023 state flag champion. We are so proud to have her here with us today. Please join me in welcoming Saylor to the podium.”

OPENING STATEMENT from ARVADA WEST STUDENT-ATHLETE SAYLOR SWANSON
“My name is Saylor Swanson, and I am a junior and quarterback for the Arvada West Wildcats. Thank you to the Denver Broncos for inviting me here today to represent Colorado High School girls’ flag football. I am truly honored to celebrate the historic day with you. These last two seasons have been life changing representing Arvada West, but also the Denver Broncos at a Regional tournament and Nationals. This past fall, the competition and enthusiasm were even greater. Winning the flag football state championship for Arvada West was a dream come true. It means everything to have this opportunity to compete in a sport I’ve loved since childhood.

“I can tell you first-hand, every high school flag football player in Colorado has tremendous knowledge of the game, exceptional football skills, sportsmanship and a genuine love and passion for the game. Because of this ‘yes’ vote, the sky’s the limit to what the future holds for girls’ and women’s flag football in Colorado and nationwide, with more opportunities for girls to pursue flag football at all age levels and beyond high school. I would also like to thank CHSAA for this historic moment in the state’s high school sport history.  Please join me in welcoming CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger, who will say a few words. Thank you!”

OPENING STATEMENT FROM CHSAA COMMISSIONER MIKE KRUEGER
“Thank you and good morning. It is a historic day, and it is a historic moment for our state. I want to start with some thank you’s. I want to start by thanking the Denver Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation [with Owner and Denver Broncos Foundation Board Chair] Carrie Walton Penner, [President] Damani Leech and the whole team. We couldn’t be here today without the support of the Denver Broncos.

“I want to thank the leaders of the school districts that piloted this opportunity for our girls. [Cherry Creek Director of Athletics] Larry Bull from Cherry Creek, [Executive Director of Athletics & Activities] Patrick Simpson from Jeffco, [Denver Public Schools Assistant Principal/Director of Athletics] Kevin Bendjy and [Manager of Athletics] John Andrew from Denver Public Schools. We wouldn’t be here without them, their teams and the efforts that they put in over the last few years. Your leadership and your vision are incredible.

“I want to personally thank [Vice President of Community Impact & Executive Director, Denver Broncos Foundation] Allie Engelken for her support, her friendship, her collegiality, her vision and her leadership to make this dream come true for the girls in the state of Colorado.

“To my great friend for many years and leader in our community and in our state, [Director of Youth & High School Football] Bobby Mestas, for the work that he did. It’s probably one of those situations where it’s going to go unseen with just how many hours, how many phone calls and how many miles Bobby put on his car. The late nights with setting up games and playing the role of an athletic director while still supporting our community in his role as the Director of Youth and High School Football. Bobby, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. We wouldn’t be here today without your leadership, and I appreciate you as a person. The heart that you have as a servant and as a leader is just amazing. So Bobby Mestas, thank you.

“While offering my thoughts yesterday with our member schools prior to our vote, I shared a text message that my good friend Megan Scremin, the CEO of Colorado Special Olympics, sent me. It was a video of her daughter playing flag football. She said, ‘I know the state will be voting on this tomorrow. I just wanted to send you this video of my daughter scoring her first touchdown. And by the way, she outran all the boys.’ In it, she said, ‘I’m hoping that girls flag will continue to be an option for her because she already loves it at eight years old. Signed, a proud mom.’ That resonated with me. At the same time as I spoke to our state and my colleagues yesterday, I had the picture of my little two-year-old granddaughter holding a mini sized football. It’s a picture on my phone that I just pulled up. It reminded me that the question before us yesterday, it was about what was best for our high school girls in the state of Colorado, but it was bigger than that. It was truly about all of the young girls and all the young females in our state. It was a question that demanded our attention, our action and our unwavering commitment to equality and opportunity. It was a question that spoke to the foundational principles and values that we stand for as an organization and as a community.

“The voice of our female athletes, including [Arvada West High School player] Saylor [Swanson] and her teammates, they spoke resoundingly with a call for inclusivity, empowerment and the chance to pursue their passions. I am proud to serve a membership of Colorado schools who embraced this responsibility. They heeded this call, and they leaned into the foundational principles and the values that we do stand for.

“I’m proud to live in a community where leaders like Carrie Walton Penner, Allie Engelken, Damani Leech, Bobby Mestas and the Denver Broncos organization lead and serve with passion and vision. I’m proud to live and serve in a state that leads the country in participation of high school female athletes. By offering girls flag football as a sanctioned sport, we’re not only expanding opportunities for younger women and their personal growth and success, but we are also fostering a culture of inclusivity and empowerment that reverberates far beyond the field and for generations of young women to come. Thank you.”

Q&A WITH BRONCOS PRESIDENT DAMANI LEECH, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY IMPACT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DENVER BRONCOS FOUNDATION ALLIE ENGELKEN, CHSAA COMMISSIONER MIKE KRUEGER AND DIRECTOR OF YOUTH & HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BOBBY MESTAS
On the momentum surrounding women’s sports recently
Damani Leech: “Two things come to mind. No. 1, just broadly with women’s sports. I think that we’re in an unprecedented period of commercial success for women’s sports, both collegiately and professionally. When you have 20 million people watching a women’s Final Four national championship game, that is just incredible. I think you’re seeing it professionally and collegiately, whether that is basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball and all of those things. I think women’s sports have proven to be good business. This is a really special time in that regard. I spent 17 years with the NCAA and this is a bit of a full-circle career moment for me. Not only supporting it here at a high school level, but my colleagues that are still at the NCAA [who] are working hard for it to become an NCAA championship sport. My time at the NFL [office] supporting international [growth of] the game around the world. Getting it to a position where it’s going to be in the Olympics is really special and seeing the popularity of the sport around the world, not just in the United States, it’s great. So hopefully we’ll see [Arvada West High School player] Saylor [Swanson] in LA in 2028. (laughs) No pressure.”

On what their message would be to high school student athletes about why they should participate in flag football
Allie Engelken: “From a school engagement standpoint, we believe that all girls and any high school kid should have the opportunity to choose what’s best for them. For girls flag football to become sanctioned and an option for girls across our state means that there are more homes and places and senses of belonging that we can create as a state for girls to succeed. We believe that there are—as Carrie mentioned—mental, emotional and physical benefits to playing high school athletics, and we see it transcend far beyond the field. In the classroom, we see greater attendance when girls are participating in sports, we see higher grades and we see more dedication to the school building, all which impacts a community as a whole. This is just the first step that I would share with girls. I hope that they feel supported, and I hope that they feel seen. If girls flag football is their sport, I hope that they feel empowered to come out this fall because we know the competition will only grow. Arvada West, as well as so many other of our 50 pilot schools, set the bar really high and we know that there’s more to do.”

DL: “All of that is great. I would just add it’s also an incredibly low barrier-to-entry sport from an equipment standpoint. You can use existing fields and reposition them. You just really need flags and a ball. I think that’s why not only can it grow in the [United States], but around the world.”

On the origins of the pilot program and the process of getting flag football sanctioned
AE: “The Denver Broncos and the Denver Broncos Foundation for decades have supported youth flag football. A lot of that has been from coed teams and leagues throughout the state. So flag football has always been a priority because of the low barrier to entry and the opportunity for kids to learn the game of football before potentially transitioning into tackle or another format. Conversations really started heating up in 2021 coming out of COVID and understanding that flag football was one of the fastest growing sports in the country. It was an opportunity for us to be a leader in the state and really convene incredibly like-minded individuals in the school districts to join us. It was approved by the Denver Broncos Foundation Board for funding and support in late 2021. At that point, we knew Jefferson County Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District and Denver Public Schools would be our initial pilot districts to work with. Then working alongside Mike and the CHSAA team, there’s a rigorous sanctioning process in Colorado that is vastly different than what we’ve seen across the country in some of the other states. We immediately got to work kind of ticking off the boxes and making sure we were aligning. As we were growing, it was thoughtful so that we could see expansion at these levels. I would also like to offer to Bobby if you had anything to add to that related to just the process.”

Bobby Mestas: “First and foremost, thank you to the schools that took a chance [on the pilot]. We know that adding a new sport is not an easy task. Without that courage to take this on, we’d have no place to start. I think getting off to a good first year was crucial. After we had one successful year of a pilot season under our belt, we were able to double in size. By then, we felt like we were prepared to grow. Without the schools, without the athletic directors, the players and the coaches, none of this is around. Just a big thanks to them, first and foremost.”

On how the Broncos will be involved with high school girls flag football moving forward
AE: “We’re excited to continue supporting this sport for this season and beyond. We do that through not only financial commitment for schools as well as high-impact programs for youth, but also through a lot of programmatic elements that will mirror our support for boy’s tackle football. That includes officials and referee recruitment and training and coaches’ clinics to ensure that coaches feel prepared to teach an emerging sport and coach an emerging sport. That includes a regional NFL flag tournament, which Saylor and [her friend Arvada West High School player] Sara [Walker] participated in. That will continue in partnership with the NFL. We’ve seen our opportunity for support to continually grow. I am also proud to share that we partnered with Children’s Hospital Colorado this year on an intensive 12-month research study, specific to female student athletes playing girls flag football. We’ll have results published in partnership with Children’s Hospital later this summer and have the opportunity to continue studying how participation in athletics can benefit girls throughout the state.”

On how many schools will offer girls flag football and will rural Colorado communities could field consolidated teams
MK: “My goal is 367 high schools. (laughs) The growth that we saw from Year 1 to Year 2 in just participation was a 161 percent growth rate in the number of participants, jumping from the mid-20s of schools to up over 70 school teams that had programs. So we do know—and I think I’ll go back to what Damani said—the neat thing about girls flag football and flag football in general is that the barriers to it are not hard to overcome. It doesn’t take a lot of equipment. The jamboree-style [play] that was incorporated—I know speaking to my colleagues across the state, the Athletic and Activities Directors—when you can run three games on one full-size, 120-yard field, that makes the facility availability, the equipment cost, and you don’t need 30 to 40 people out there to have a team. We have already seen interest from the rural parts of our state. I was really proud yesterday for many reasons, but even for the parts of our state that know right now that the reality probably for them [is that] the timing isn’t right now. Schools out on the western slope, schools down south, out east, to recognize that maybe it’s not the timing of it for them and they’ll have to grow to get that and see where that interest lies. But the fact that they said, ‘We support this because we know it’s great for our state.’ I think that was a strong message across the membership, and I was really proud of that fact. I do expect that we’ll see growth in the rural parts of our state. We’ve already seen the interest. We did do some surveys as part of the pilot process, and there is significant interest not just in the metro area and the I-25 corridor, but from across the state.”

On school responses to the pilot program and if the current momentum behind women’s sports felt like a catalyst
AE: “I can speak to the pilot Year 1, and I’m going to steal a story from Jeffco [School District]. When we initially launched with 22 schools for the 2022 season, we were anticipating anywhere from 10 to 20 girls coming out for each team. We were pleasantly surprised, but also a little shocked, when Chatfield [Senior] High School had 85 girls show out for tryouts. So last year during our expanded pilot program, 17 of those schools actually fielded more than one team, with some schools actually fielding four teams that were participating in jamborees. I think those numbers are what surprised us the most, but that also showed us what we had. When you don’t know, and you come out and see the support—the girls voted with their feet. They wanted to be there, they wanted to play. They also recruited others to join in the second season, and I think that’s what really showed us from a support standpoint that we needed to back what they were sharing with us.”

MK: “I would add to that as well. I think one of the numbers that really stood out to me was that over half of the participants were not playing another sport or weren’t interested, or weren’t at the time playing a fall sport or weren’t in any other activity. That speaks loudly when six out of 10 [girls] are saying, ‘Hey, this might be something for me.’ I think that’s where we need to heed that call.

DL: “I would just add, for those of you who haven’t seen it [flag football] live and in-person, I would encourage you to do it. I think when you see the game, the speed and the athleticism of it, the opportunities for it are undeniable. It’s an incredibly fun sport to watch.”

On how schools will receive funding and if there concern about costs casted doubt on the vote
MK: “As all of you know, school budgets are tight. I’ve yet to talk to an athletic director that calls me and says, ‘I’m trying to find something to do with all the money I have.’ (laughs) That call hasn’t happened, but yes costs are always a concern, regardless of what it is. Honestly, I think we looked at that and saide did get incredible support from the Denver Broncos,’ and also I might add, USA Football who provided equipment for the schools. I think that Allie said it: We know that the Broncos will continue to support this in so many ways, but with that said, it’s a sanctioned sport just like any of our other sports, so the responsibilities for funding that sport do fall to the schools. There are costs for transportation for officials and facilities workers. All of those will become a reality, but again I think the thing that we pointed out was that this is one sport. If we luckily going to add one, it is cost-effective. And if we want to do it, it’s not going to cost a lot of money to schools, but any money for schools right now is a lot because of the way our schools’ funding works. I might also add that goes also for athletic and activities directors as well. There is a lot on their plates, and when we start talking about expansion, we have to be sensitive to that. There are men and women working across our state, and their passion is about providing opportunity. When we do expand, it does expand the things that they have to do as well, but every single one of them steps up and says, ‘Hey, this is what’s best for our kids, and we’re going to do this.’ That’s a pretty great complement to their passion.’

AE: “I’d also like to add that in addition to USA Football providing equipment, Nike provided a significant grant to cover the cost of all uniforms for any emerging team that joined in during the pilot season. USA Football and the Denver Broncos Foundation also offered grant programs where you could apply for grant funding specific to emerging sports. I think there will be many other resources available to the schools in our state, and that’s the responsibility of the Broncos to share that alongside CHSAA to ensure schools know what support is out there for them.”

On what Broncos player support has meant to girls flag football throughout the pilot
BM: “I don’t know who had more fun out there at those games, the current  players or the girls playing out there on the field. That support has been tremendous. Our players have done so many wonderful things in the community, [and] this is just one more activation that they can be a part of. What was most exciting to see was just how much they were involved in the game. I can’t tell you how many times I would see one of our players with a playbook and they were calling the defense for one of the schools. It wasn’t just one of those, ‘Let’s show up and take a few photos.’ They were engaged, and it was a two-way street. The girls loved having them there, but I think the players loved being there just as much.”

AE: “I think for some of our players who may have started their football careers playing flag football, it almost brings them back to their roots a little bit. Also, we have so many players who have daughters, so we had a lot of ‘girl dads’ that were wanting to support. I think potentially seeing their girls one day participating in a sport like this gave them added motivation to be a great supporter, but also an honorary coach in some ways.”

On what encouragement they have for parents who are weary of their children participating in flag football
MK: “I feel uniquely qualified to speak about this. My experience prior to filling this role, obviously I spent a number of years working with a CHSAA organization working as an athletic and activities director. My role prior to becoming commissioner was working with USA Football on the athlete development program. You’re right about that, there are concerns, but I also see those same concerns when I work with colleagues from USA Hockey [and] USA Soccer, who are getting ready to pilot a national program on ACL injuries for girls and that coalition. When you start talking about the mental health benefits, the overall wellness benefits of participation and the inherent benefits of belonging to a team. There are risks in a lot of the things we do, but we follow very closely and will do our very best to make sure we provide a safe environment, both physically, emotionally and mentally, for all of our kids regardless of the sport. I think when you look at it, we have to weigh the costs and the potential possibility that we could get injured in any number of things. [I am] pretty much a stickler for making sure my grandkids wear helmets when they’re riding their bikes, just in case they fall. With that being said, that doesn’t preclude us from making sure that we’re doing our very best to make sure that coaches are trained, coaches have the information they need. We have a lot of requirements for coaches before you can coach in the state of Colorado, but relative to that, we just have to provide the best instruction we can and make sure that we’re coaching well. I used to often times speak to many youth coaches across the country, and it was really for tackle football. I always felt the instruction they were receiving was really an important part of it. We can do everything possible in terms of safety requirements and mandates, but at the end of the day [it is] how we coach our kids and take care of them. That’s not just physical, it’s just as important to make sure that they have a safe environment emotionally and mentally as well to reap those inherent benefits: the mental wellness, the physical wellness that can come from participating in sport.”

AE: “Preliminary research from our Children’s Hospital study found that girls flag football was no more dangerous than any other sport that was studied, and that includes physical education classes. Twenty-one percent of our athletes during the 2023 season experienced an injury that held them out of a minimum of one practice or game, and the vast majority of those injuries were finger sprains and strains just based on the nature of grabbing for flags in practice and with the game.”

On the importance of supporting women in sports to give them legitimacy as competitors and to encourage them to be more involved
AE: “Legitimacy is a great word to use there. It also creates a pipeline for access. If you were a young girl who played on a coed flag football team and you hit middle school and you’re like, ‘What’s next for me?’ The ability to see yourself in the next step allows you to engage deeper in that moment and truly believe. I think for the Denver Broncos, being a leader not only in Colorado but across the NFL, we’re very fortunate to have incredible ownership, but also a couple of female owners. I think when we talk about this moment in sports, there have been incredible women working in sports for decades, that is not new, but I think being able to shine a spotlight on that moment right now and show girls an opportunity not only on the field but off the field, we’re doing right by the Colorado community and being a leader in that.”