Falcons training camp puts girls on the gridiron

Before her all-girls charter school Ivy Preparatory Academy in Norcross decided to offer football as its first organized sport, Anycia never thought she'd score a touchdown. But pushing girls beyond their comfort zone is part of the rigor at Ivy Prep.

School leaders decided a foray into football was just what the girls needed to learn that they could compete aggressively in an area dominated by males and be successful. Ivy Prep is the first Georgia school to join the NFL Girls Flag Football Program, which was launched in 2007. The middle and high school recently held a training camp led by an Atlanta Falcons linebacker to introduce girls to the sport.

"We don't want the girls to set limits on themselves or to allow limits to be placed on them," said Nina Gilbert, head of school. "By playing football, they will see that they can still be feminine, take risks and learn the fundamentals of a really great sport."

The NFL is reaching out to other Georgia charter high schools to establish similar teams with the hope of building a competitive network for girls flag football. The organization supplies its partner schools with free flag belts, footballs and training manuals.

"The NFL is backing the development of girls high school flag football across the country," said Samantha Rapoport, spokeswoman for NFL Girls Flag Football. "Girls are flocking to the sport. No matter your height, your size or your ability level, there is a position for you on the field."

About 12,000 high school girls play on NFL-affiliated programs nationwide. Rapoport said two states — Florida and Alaska — host tournaments where top teams compete for bragging rights.

Steve Alic of USA Football, which supports and trains football coaches nationwide, says interest in girls football has grown exponentially as female athletes start teams because they love the game and the lessons it teaches. In the 1996-97 school year, there were 70 girls football teams in the National Federation of State High School Associations. A decade later, there were 446 — 285 tackle programs and 161 flag programs, Alic said. "The values learned from football are timeless — it builds confidence, responsibility ... and team work," he said.

In Atlanta, even statuesque moms and career women don shoulder pads with the Atlanta Xplosion, 2006 national and conference champions in the Independent Women's Football League. "The competitiveness, the hitting people and not getting in trouble for doing it, that is what I love about it," said running back Lee Cannon, 29, of Marietta. Cannon said she wishes she could have joined a team when she was a kid.

The idea of girls playing football was a tough sell for some Ivy Prep students. Several of the girls don't care to watch the sport on TV. Nevertheless, 70 students including the reluctant but curious met at West Gwinnett Park for a practice clinic with Atlanta Falcon Tony Gilbert to learn how to throw, catch and run plays. An ambulance was called for one girl who appeared exhausted and dehydrated.

"I thought it was going to be really, really hard," Anycia said. "I didn't think I would be able to catch the ball or throw it, but I figured out that I am actually stronger than I thought I was."

Sachi Evans of Decatur overcame her fear of the ball, too. "Now I know that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I would love to join the team in the fall."

Ivy Prep dad Ernest Evans bonded with his daughter Sachi as he coached the clinic. He was surprised to see how tough the girls were. "I saw some falls, but the girls just wiped off their knees, got back up and started running.You really couldn't tell if it was guys or girls out there playing, the way they were into football."