Local

St. Johns girls flag football team shattering perceptions, chasing trophies

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. — When most of us think of football we think of it being a boy’s sport, but an all-girls flag football team in Ponte Vedra is working to change that.

GIRL POWER is a flag-football league that isn’t just for anyone; it’s for the fearless, the supportive, and the girl.

The league was started by Coach Phill, a father of three young daughters and an even younger boy. Over the last year, he extended his family to over 150 athletes.

“I just felt like the sport of football is so important to build confidence, to build self-esteem—especially at such a young age,” Coach Phil told Action News Jax. “These girls are developing and they don’t have those attributes yet, and when you can build his league where everyone comes out and competes in a healthy, positive environment, then it is such a great success.”

The team’s mission is to help young girls build confidence, self-esteem, and mental fortitude for everyday life.

Coach Phil encourages all girls to get involved no matter their ability or if they’ve played before. “Just giving them the same opportunities that the boys get, but just doing it a little bit differently, where yes, it’s competitive, but it’s so healthy; it’s so fun and we’re building everybody up. It doesn’t matter

Samantha Mathers

Samantha Mathers, Action News Jax

Samantha Mathers is a digital reporter and content creator for Action News Jax.