The Green Bay Packers are taking a major step to grow girls flag football in Wisconsin, awarding $5,000 grants to 20 additional high schools across the state. This latest round of funding brings more opportunities for young athletes to compete in a sport that's experiencing explosive growth at the grassroots level.

Each school receives not only the financial grant but also a USA Football flag equipment starter kit and 20 protective headbands, the Packers announced on May 5. The initiative is part of the team's ongoing commitment to expand access and participation, with the NFL leading the charge to make flag football a mainstream sport for girls nationwide.

In the Milwaukee area, four high schools are getting a boost: Cedarburg, Dominican, Milwaukee School of the Arts, and Milwaukee Riverside. Racine Case, Racine Park, Beloit, Burlington, and Elkhorn also made the list. Up in the Fox Valley, Freedom, Green Bay East, Kimberly, Little Chute, and Neenah are included, along with Southern Door in Brussels. Around Madison, all four public high schools—East, La Follette, West, and Vel Phillips Memorial—plus Verona are now part of the program.

"Seeing the growth of girls flag football in Wisconsin over the last several years has been so rewarding," said Ryan Fencl, the Packers' football outreach manager. "We're proud to highlight girls flag as a sport in a variety of ways through our outreach efforts, creating opportunities for girls to explore their athletic abilities through flag football. We look forward to continuing to build momentum for girls flag in Wisconsin and contribute to the ultimate goal of establishing girls flag as a sanctioned high school sport in our state."

Flag football itself has a rich history, originally conceived by U.S. soldiers during World War II as a recreational activity. Today, it's a fast-paced, no-contact version of the game where ballcarriers are downed by pulling flags from a belt rather than tackling. With smaller teams and fields, it's an accessible and exciting alternative to traditional 11-player football. The sport has been sponsored by state high school athletic associations for decades, and with the Packers' support, Wisconsin is poised to become a major player in its continued expansion.