KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Before the Kansas City Chiefs make their move to the Sunflower State in 2031, the organization is putting its support behind the launch of girls flag football as a high school sport in Kansas.
The “Let Her Play” campaign invites fans and communities across Kansas to help fill out an online petition as Kansas approaches a decision on whether to sanction the sport in high schools.
A vote on whether the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) will sanction girls flag football will take place April 23. Ahead of that, the Chiefs said they are mobilizing fans, employees and community partners across Kansas to support.
“This is about opportunity,” said Chiefs President Mark Donovan. “We’ve seen firsthand how girls flag football builds confidence, leadership, and a true sense of belonging for students who want to be part of the game. The momentum across Kansas is real, and moments like this have the power to open doors for an entire generation of student-athletes. Sanctioning girls flag football is the next step in turning this moment into lasting opportunity – one we can move forward by working together across Kansas.”
On Thursday, the Chiefs partnered with local HyVee locations in Lawrence, Topeka, Lenexa, Mission, Olathe, Overland Park and Prairie Village to help hand out “Let HER Play” flags, which have an intentional strip of fabric missing from the middle. That missing fabric symbolizes the opportunity that’s not yet available for girls across Kansas to compete in school-based flag football, the Chiefs said.
The initiative from the Chiefs comes ahead of flag football becoming an Olympic-sanctioned sport in 2028 when the summer Olympics come to Los Angeles.
The Chiefs said they’ll continue hosting clinics, coaching development sessions, and youth programming to support schools and communities interested in bringing girls flag football to their students.
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