As Izzy Geraci looked out at the room of about 400 athletes sitting in each panel discussion of the Browns 'A New Era Summit,' she thought back to her seven-year-old self who dreamed of playing football.
Now Geraci – who was a member of the 2024 U.S. Women's Flag National team – not only has been able to live out her dream but also wants to help the next generation of female athletes having the same opportunity to do so.
"I feel like I can help them pave their pathway and kind of give them guidance on, like where I messed up or what opportunities I didn't have that maybe I can show them that they now have," Geraci said. "So, it's really important to me because that's really my biggest thing, and why I play is to grow the game."
The Browns hosted the second annual 'A New Era Summit,' presented by Gatorade and in association with Bridgestone on March 26 at Huntington Bank Field. At the event, about 850 athletes from 46 high schools attended A New Era Summit to hear from the panel that consisted of Geraci, NFL Vice President and Head of Flag Football Stephanie Kwok and Senior Advisor/Consultant to the NFL Mike Daniels with CBS Sports Aditi Kinkhabwala as the moderator to talk about the growth of girls flag football and the opportunities that lie ahead for the sport. They also rotated through multiple stations to hear about diverse career opportunities in sports, as well as experience a photo shoot with their uniforms for the 2025 season. In addition, the 35 new teams for the 2025 spring season also received their uniform kits.
The Browns high school girls flag football programming, presented by Gatorade and in association with Bridgestone, aims to provide access and opportunities for high school female student-athletes to compete in and experience the fastest growing sport of flag football. By providing resources and information to players, coaches and parents the Browns can help expand their knowledge of the game and provide opportunities through the Cleveland Browns, USA Football, NFL FLAG and the NFL.
The implementation of high school girls flag football began in the fall of 2021 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag Football. In 2021, the program began with athletes from four high schools who formed two teams. The Browns then created the first high school girls flag football division in Ohio in 2022, and the program expanded to nine teams in 2022. It then jumped to a total of 30 teams the following year in 2023. The division has continued to grow, as in 2024, the program housed 51 teams across Northeast Ohio.
As the 2025 spring season is set to begin, the girls flag football program went from 51 to 88 from spring 2024 to spring 2025, with total 100 percent growth from 30 to 60 high schools from 2024 to 2025.
"I think the sport wouldn't be where it's at without people like the NFL and the Browns really backing it and doing events like this that get the girls out and pushing the sport into the spotlight that it deserves to be in," Geraci said.
The sport continues to gain momentum as both men's and women's teams will be featured in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles for the first time in the competition's history. Its selection to be added to the Olympic Games came as the result of a thorough process and analysis based on evaluation criteria – including gender equality. With its inclusion, it opens the door for more athletes to turn their love of the game into a collegiate and Olympic career.
"The league and the clubs like the Browns, have been doing a lot for flag football – going back to NFL Flag started in the 90s," Kwok said during the panel discussion. "So, flag football has been around for a while I would say mostly at the recreational level as an opportunity to play as a kid and local rec leagues. Over the last 5-10 years is when you see more of a focus from the league and from the clubs. And I think what really gave it a really big boost was it getting into the Olympics. All of a sudden there's a pathway to represent the country and to play at the highest level."
Around the country, there are 14 states that have girls flag football as a sanctioned sport. During the 2023-24 season, 42,955 girls participated in flag football in high schools nationwide – a 105 percent increase from the previous year. The Browns are working towards adding Ohio to that list of states in which it's a sanctioned sport.
"I think we're going to see that start to happen very quickly," Kwok said. "We're at 14 states right now that have flag football as a varsity sport – four or five of those added in the last year. And so, it just takes time. It takes time when you're building something brand new, too. And I think change can be hard for people. So, it's having those conversations. I think also what's most important in states is everyone knowing that girls want to play."
The Browns have been in constant dialogue with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) as they work through the process to make flag football a sanctioned sport. As they have expanded the program from Northeast Ohio to Central Ohio, one of the steps in the process to being sanctioned is seeing continued growth in participation from high schools in Central Ohio.
The Browns are encouraging athletes and those who support the mission of seeing girls flag football as a sanctioned varsity sport to email OHSAA and share their stories and support. To send an email, click here.
