DETROIT – Girls’ flag football is gaining momentum across Metro Detroit, and Wild Child Athletics is working to make sure more young athletes have an opportunity to get involved.
The organization, founded by Candice Davis Price, is preparing to bring girls together at Wayne State University for an event designed to introduce athletes to flag football while connecting them with women athletes and leaders.
Davis Price said the event is part of what she calls a “Detroit Takeover” for Wild Child Athletics, following the organization’s launch in Ypsilanti.
The push comes after girls in Detroit reached out to Davis Price on social media, saying transportation and distance made it difficult to participate in programs outside the city.
River Rouge has since offered a facility that will open for girls’ flag football in September.
Davis Price said Wild Child Athletics plans to run a seven-week season for girls in Detroit.
“This takeover is just a little taste for them to get out there,” Davis Price said.
The Wayne State event is designed to be more than a football clinic.
Davis Price said participants will receive giveaways, take part in photo opportunities and receive customized jerseys and sports bras, along with hands-on instruction.
The event is being held in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation, Delta Air Lines, Gatorade, Oakley and MGM Grand, according to Davis Price.
Girls will have opportunities to learn introductory skills including flag pulling and quarterback fundamentals.
Davis Price said experienced players and newcomers alike will receive instruction designed to help them succeed.
For Audrey King, who started playing flag football in January, the sport has provided a chance to transfer skills she developed in other sports.
“I love it. It’s so diverse,” King said.
King previously competed in track and field and said her speed and agility have translated well to flag football.
Davis Price recalled that King initially struggled with the idea of being taken out of a game.
She said King became upset when she couldn’t finish, but has since developed into a more confident player who continued working through challenges.
“She kept going,” Davis Price said.
Aubrey Kirby is preparing to try flag football for the first time.
Kirby said her experience in track has made her confident that she can succeed on the football field.
“I think I will be really good in it,” Kirby said, pointing to her speed and experience in track.
For King, one of the biggest benefits of girls’ flag football is the opportunities that can come with the sport.
She said the growing number of flag football programs could create additional opportunities for athletes, including college scholarships.
“There’s more scholarships coming into the USA,” King said. “It’s just such a good opportunity to get your name out there, get some experience.”
Davis Price said expanding access is a major part of Wild Child Athletics’ mission.
The goal is not simply to introduce girls to football, but to create a pathway for athletes who might otherwise never have the opportunity to play.
The upcoming event will give girls the chance to learn the sport, meet other athletes, and build confidence in a growing game.
For Kirby, who has yet to play a flag football game, the opportunity is another chance to test her athletic abilities.
“I think I’m really fast,” Kirby said.
And Davis Price believes that athleticism, combined with the growing interest in girls’ flag football, can help open the door for more young athletes.
“Women are far more intellectual on the football field than you think,” Davis Price said.
With Detroit preparing for its own seven-week girls’ flag football season this fall, Wild Child Athletics hopes next week’s event will be the beginning of a larger movement to get more girls into the game.