HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green, M.D., joined key supporters and partners Thursday to announce the launch of the inaugural Hawai‘i High School Girls Flag Football season, set to kick off this spring. A check presentation ceremony in the Governor’s Ceremonial Room recognized the donors who made this historic season possible, particularly the Las Vegas Raiders, who contributed $25,000 — along with other supporters including the National Football League, the Seattle Seahawks, Nike, Hawai‘i Medical Service Association, Hawai‘i Dental Service and Marcus Mariota’s Motiv8 Foundation.
Governor Green expressed pride in the collaborative effort to introduce girls’ flag football, marking Hawai‘i as the twelfth state to sanction the sport at the high school level.
“Today, we’re opening doors for young women across Hawai‘i and I couldn’t be prouder,” he said. “This new program exemplifies our commitment to gender equity and to providing equal opportunities for all students to compete, grow and succeed through sports.”
The season will follow a seven-on-seven player format and is expected to involve 54 teams statewide, from Hawai‘i Department of Education (HIDOE) schools and several private schools. The inaugural season is being supported entirely by private sponsorships, reflecting strong community backing for this exciting new addition to high school athletics.
Governor Green also highlighted the importance of sports in building resilience, confidence and lifelong friendships, sharing, “With this new program, we’re encouraging young women to develop skills and friendships that will benefit them throughout their lives. To all the young women who will be competing this season, know that we’re rooting for you. This is your moment and we’re all excited to watch you succeed on the field.”
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka praised the work done by Keith Amemiya, chair of the Governor’s Sports Task Force, to bring the donation-making partners together. He pledged to do even more work with Amemiya to support local athletics with help from additional partnerships.
“All of this tied together with the DOE and OIA and ILH, this is going to be an incredible endeavor for all of us,” Tokioka said. “We would like to express our gratitude to the Las Vegas Raiders and its President, Sandra Douglass Morgan, for their support in breaking barriers for young women in sports.”
“Girls’ flag football is the fastest-growing sport in the nation, from youth to high school to college,” HIDOE Gender Equity and Athletics Specialist Dana Takahara-Dias said. “We are proud to share that 54 schools across five leagues across the state have committed to participating in this inaugural season and will take the field this year. It will be an Olympic sport in 2028 and we look forward to seeing a Hawai‘i athlete don the USA jersey.”
Takahara-Dias also thanked HIDOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi for his commitment to gender equity and athletics and for providing meaningful and impactful opportunities for female students at the high school level.
The culmination of the inaugural season will be the first-ever state tournament to crown a state champion in girls flag football. See the paper this spring for Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF) flag football coverage.