For the second straight season, Bridgestone has teamed up with the Browns – as well as the Cowboys, Rams, Patriots and Titans – to empower girls through sports and STEM activities.
Bridgestone has made a significant national impact on girls flag football starting in 2023. In working with NFL teams and non-profit organization Play Like a Girl! (PLAG), Bridgestone has provided funding to help girls across the country gain more equitable access to opportunities in both sports and education.
"We believe that leading on the field helps prepare girls to lead in any field," senior manager of partnership marketing for Bridgestone Americas Caitlyn Ranson said. "But first, they need the chance to play. Right now, 12 states have sanctioned girls flag football as a high school sport and 19 more have pilot programs. This growth is exciting, but what really matters is creating more opportunities for girls to develop lifelong skills through sport and empowering them to pursue their dreams."
Bridgestone, PLAG and the Browns hosted a girls flag football clinic Oct. 1 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus, where QB Dorian Thompson Robinson led the athletes in flag football drills and leaders from all three organizations spoke to the attendees ahead of the field day about their experiences as professionals.
"We want the girls to know that we support them in any endeavor, and we want them to be prepared," PLAG program director Ashley S. Green said during the event. "So, today the girls were able to hear an inspiring panel from some of the leadership with the Browns and Bridgestone Americas and now they are able to learn some skills and drills on the field."
Athletes juked around cones and ran routes for Thompson-Robinson, who has two sisters and described himself as an advocate for women's sports.
"We want to let them know that we care about them, that we want to see them succeed and for them to have fun," Thompson-Robinson said.
Bridgestone's flag football efforts are designed to help girls explore athletic ambitions while developing essential life skills that can be translated on and off the field. The field days are just one way the organization makes an impact on the rapidly growing sport, in addition to providing support through meeting equipment, training, transportation and technology needs.
Bridgestone's collaboration with PLAG and the NFL is one extension of the company's broader What Really Matters platform. Their efforts are designed to make positive and lasting impacts on people, the environment and mobility in local communities where the company operates.
The Browns first partnered with Bridgestone in 2019 and expanded their partnership to begin directly working with girls flag football in 2023.
"The collaboration with Bridgestone enables us to highlight the various career paths available to young girls, while the sport of football serves as a gateway for them to discover these opportunities," manager of youth football Hannah Lee said.
The Browns began their implementation of Girls High School Flag Football in 2021 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag Football. Since, the number of participating teams have grown from two in 2021 to 51 in 2024.
Ultimately, the Browns are focused on creating a pathway for Girls High School Flag Football to become a sanctioned varsity sport under the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Their efforts to advocate for girls flag football include running programming, camps and clinics as well as providing teams, athletes and coaches with a variety of resources.
"Together we have been working to elevate girls flag football to promote equality in sports offered at the high school level," Lee said. "We are also focused on expanding Girls High School Flag Football throughout Ohio, including regions like Central Ohio, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, and surrounding counties, ensuring that every girl who aspires to play football has the opportunity to do so."
If there is interest in starting a Girls High School Flag Football program at a high school, contact the Browns Youth Football via email at youthfootball@clevelandbrowns.com.
