A Bolton School-based flag football league for girls came to a close after its first season in Greater Manchester. The school was one of 10 schools across the region to be involved in the Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League . The sport is on the rise across the world with its inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, in Los Angeles, acting as a catalyst for change.
In Greater Manchester the schools competed for several weeks before a Championship Event on Chorley New Road this week. Bolton School's team was coached by chemistry teacher Jack Williams who concocted plays named after the area such as Lever and Middlebrook or after the area's weather such as lightning and thunder. Phoebe Schecter, one of the first female coaches in the NFL, and Jerry Azumah, a former cornerback in the NFL, cheered them on at the Championship Event which was won by Wright Robinson College.
Previously Ms Schecter told The Bolton News: "We lose a lot of girls aged 10 to 14 to sport whether it's because it's not cool or because they're not comfortable in their own bodies. But if we look at these girls they're confident from one day of playing. "The key is to give them the opportunities in sport.
Boys are given a lot of opportunities in sport but this is something where everyone gets to be on a level playing field and everyone gets to have fun." A spokesperson for the Chicago Bears said: "Days like today are why we kicked off this fantastic flag football league for girls. It provided girls from all backgrounds .
