BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Wednesday, which was also Women in Sports Day, NYSPHSAA created more opportunities for more women to get involved in sports.
"I would like to say it was a coordinated effort to specifically have it on that day," said Robert Zayas, the executive director of NYSPHSAA. "It just coincidentally perfect timing."
At the organization's executive committee meeting, they approved a girls flag football a state championship to be held in 2024. Part of the reason it was approved is the overwhelming response to the state's pilot program last spring.
"We have definitely seen an increase," Zayas said.
"We were hoping to have 40 teams participating statewide. That number reached over 50 last spring. And we're estimating that we'll have 140 teams participating this spring."
Last year, 12 teams were created in Western New York.
"We had a Friday night atmosphere just like they do for tackle," said Marissa Dauria, Section VI chairperson for NYSPHSAA.
"We had a spring homecoming and I know a lot of other schools had big crowds at these games. For the girls to be a headline event and feel that sort of feeling that your tackle football players get was huge."
There are now 27 teams in Western New York and 23 in Rochester. With girls flag football now a championship sport, the interest in it is only expected to continue growing.
"I was super pumped and hopeful that maybe we can host the championship in Buffalo some day, if not next year. We have the most teams in our section participating from any section in the whole state," Dauria said.
The last sport NYSPHSAA added to Section VI was cheerleading, and girls flag football won't be the last.
"I have kids down at the middle school, especially on the girls side. They can't wait to play flag football. 'Coach, when does the season start,' " said Chris Monaco, head coach of girls varsity flag football at Sweet Home High.
Girls wrestling is New York State's next emerging sport.
To become a championship sport, girls wrestling needs six of the state's 11 sections to recognize it as a sport, and have at least four teams participating.
Right now, it's only recognized in four sections. An invitational was held last week.
Though more than 450 girls wanted to participate, only a little over 200 spots could be filled.
Zayas says about about 1,000 girls participated in the wrestling season.
"We have seen tremendous momentum just like girls flag football, tremendous momentum with girls wrestling from the perspective of students who want the opportunity to participate and as an association, we have certainly found a way to give them that opportunity," Zayas said.