Having successfully integrated boys volleyball and girls wrestling into its offerings, Fairfax County Public Schools appears to be eyeing girls’ flag football next.
There has been conversation among the division’s directors of student activities about potentially moving forward with the sport for the 2025-2026 school year, Superintendent Michelle Reid told the Fairfax County School Board at its March 13 meeting.
“We’ve been talking,” Reid said.
The superintendent noted that students can earn collegiate athletic scholarships for flag football, and it will be a competitive sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics to be held in Los Angeles.
Reid’s semi-formal announcement resonated with Mason District School Board member Ricardy Anderson.
“This is near and dear to my heart,” she said, noting that she had played flag football as a youth.
If flag football is added to the athletic offerings at FCPS, it is likely that the varsity competition will be rolled out simultaneously at all 25 high schools.
“When we start [new sports], it is as a school system, not a system of schools,” said Reid, citing one of her favorite phrases.
Several directors of student activities (DSAs) at Fairfax County high schools told FFXnow they have not received any notification about when flag football will start. The subject wasn’t addressed at a recent countywide meeting with DSAs, they said.
One DSA suggested that it would be more practical — and probably more likely — for FCPS to start flag football in the fall of 2026.
Flag football games could be played early in the week or Saturday mornings to avoid conflicting with existing sports, Madison High School DSA John Kenny told FFXnow.
At the March 13 school board meeting, the superintendent noted that 440 students across all high schools participated in the boys’ volleyball program during its first year, and 239 students took part in girls’ wrestling.
Volleyball competition took place in the fall, wrestling in the winter season. In both cases, individual Fairfax County students and their teams won district, region and state accolades.
“We’re thrilled with the success,” Reid said.
The school system seems ready to add a junior varsity level for boys’ volleyball in the coming school year, the superintendent suggested at the meeting.
“We’ve made that step,” Reid said.
Photo via Dave Adamson/Unsplash
