DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) - A group of young girls in Danville is getting the chance to show off their football skills on the national level.
It’s thanks to NFL brothers Terrell, Tremaine, and Trey Edmunds who launched the EBOYZ GURLZ flag football league for youth in their hometown of Danville.
“We have some super, super talented people here in this area,” said Trey Edmunds, EBOYZ GURLZ Flag Football Founder. “A lot of times, the boys have things that are in place for them, but a lot of times the girls don’t. I just wanted to figure out how could I get involved.”
After seeing other states adopt flag football at the high school level, the Eboys took the idea and ran with it, creating a local league for girls ages 10 to 15.
“We see the direction that flag football, but specifically girls flag football, is going. It’s going to be in the Olympics in 2028. I got exposed to it just being in different regions, and I thought that our region and our our city could really benefit from it,” added Edmunds.
For many girls like Shermiya Woodson, playing flag football on an organized team wasn’t an option until last year.
“It’s fun and you meet a lot of new people and make new friends,” said Shermiya Woodson, Flag Football Player. “I get to go places, play games and show what I got on the field.”
“I think of it as a great opportunity for me and multiple other girls,” said Hailey Graves, Flag Football Player. ”If it wasn’t for this, most of us wouldn’t even be here. Most of us would probably just be at the house sitting, playing on our phones.”
Coach Shannon Dudley-Alsbaugh says last year, they started with 6 teams. This year, it has grown to 8 with over 60 players.
“I’ve already got girls asking about next year. So, I think they’re really excited about it. Some of them come in kind of shy to start with. Then, by the end, you see them just blossoming and learning and growing in the sport,” said Coach Shannon Dudley-Alsbaugh.
Three of the teams are going to the NFL Regional Tournament in DC hosted by the Commanders on November 1.
They expect to add another age group to the program next year as some players aren’t planning on putting the ball down anytime soon.
“I see me playing it until I can’t play it no more,” said Graves.
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