As a group of nearly 200 girls took off their gloves and loosened up their cleats on their way to the bleachers at Massillon High, coach Karen Battle smiled when asked about the inaugural Ohio Girls High School Flag Football Camp hosted by the NFL, in addition to both the Browns and Bengals.

"Today has been phenomenal," Battle said. "Just seeing the different girls at different levels running through all of the different stations that they can essentially put into work or production when we play some of the games."

Battle, a former flag football player, emphasized the importance of the roles the Browns and NFL have played as flag football explodes in popularity.

"I think having support from those organizations is essential because let's just be honest, nothing is going to move without big brother," Battle said. "And so, if you want women's sports to advance, you need to have the support of the ones who, at this time right now, are in the spotlight so that they can speak and preach about the things that they see."

For the first time in either team's history, the Browns and Bengals collaborated alongside the NFL to lead the camp, held on July 18 in Massillon, Ohio. The clinic kicked off an extended weekend of flag football as the 2024 NFL Flag Championships also took place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Hosting this camp is crucial for the growth and success of the sport, especially in expanding its reach across the state. The collaboration between the Browns, the NFL, and the Bengals demonstrates a united effort to make girls' high school flag football a sanctioned varsity sport in Ohio," Browns Manager of Youth Football Hannah Lee said. "This day was extraordinary because it brought together girls from all over Ohio to compete. Whether it was their first time touching a football or they've been playing since elementary school, the level of competition, teamwork, and passion displayed was unparalleled."

Over the weekend, the Hall of Fame Village hosted the NFL Flag Championships in Canton, Ohio, featuring over 2,860 young athletes from teams across the world. The first-of-its-kind event was streamed on ABC, ESPN+ and Disney+, with the Metro Select Saints (Boys 15U) and Staten Island Giants (Girls 18U) walking away with titles.

As they prepared for a weekend full of football, the girls flag football clinic was another opportunity for the Browns to further their continued investment in girls flag football.

"We have always been committed to growing participation and equity in the sport for youth and high school football," Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said at the camp. "We know it's important to to provide opportunities for girls to play the sport and are proud to have introduced the opportunity in 2021 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag."

Since 2021, the Browns have worked with Northeast Ohio Flag Football to elevate girls flag football to promote equality in high school sports. Over the past four seasons, the number of Northeast Ohio high schools with teams has grown from two to 51. The Browns are focused on pushing girls high school flag football to become a sanctioned varsity sport under the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. and both men's and women's teams will be featured in the 2028 Olympic Games for the first time in the competition's history. According to USA Football, 230,000 girls between ages six and 17 competed in flag football in the U.S. in 2023, a 44 percent increase from 2014.

In May, the NFL hired Stephanie Kwok as the inaugural Vice President, Head of Flag Football, as the league prioritizes flag football. Kwok oversees the development of the flag football ecosystem at the league level – including driving growth in domestic and international participation, fan engagement and partnerships – and attended both the camp on Thursday as well as the weekend's competition.

"It opens the game of football up to so many people," Kwok said. "Flag football now is a way for girls to play football from a youth level through to high school through college scholarships and then obviously flag football will be in the Olympics for L.A. 2028."

In addition to Kwok, Senior Advisor for the NFL League Office Mike Daniels was in Ohio to oversee the weekend's events. Daniels encouraged athletes to have conversations with their athletic directors about expanding their athletic programs to include flag football.

"It's their biggest initiative at the league office and Ohio is the birthplace for NFL football, so it's one of the most important states in the world. And so, when you start thinking about that piece of it, it's important for Ohio to lead the charge and sanction girls flag," Daniels said, adding that the league is aiming to have flag football be a fully-sanctioned sport by 2026.

The free clinic on July 18 featured position-specific drills, including passing, route running, flag pulling and agility and featured a flag football tournament in the afternoon.

Football is a pressure-inducing sport, requiring a myriad of different technical and mental strengths. Battle said that through learning the game of football, the young girls on the field Thursday were also learning lifelong skills to help them off the field.

"Confidence, number one," Battle said. "You have some girls who may have never played a sport. And when I looked at them from the first day to the last, just seeing how some of them were able to catch a ball or weren't afraid of pulling a flag. Just watching and seeing them build their confidence and grow each day and each week."

The confidence the girls build through Browns flag clinics and other flag football initiatives was put to the test over the weekend as the competitions began. Mackenzie Brugh – who attends Ohio State – played for the Cleveland Mutts, who represented the Browns in the 18U girls' division during the NFL Flag Championships weekend. Brugh echoed Battle's message that the NFL's efforts to increase flag football's popularity enable young boys and girls to grow both as players and people.

"It's incredible, it creates many opportunities for so many young athletes who just want to play flag football," Brugh said.

Brugh and several other members of the Mutts have participated in a number of the Browns' girls flag initiatives. The Mutts were one of 280 NFL Flag regional winning teams represented in Canton, including six international teams.

"Days like today highlight why the future of football is female and affirm that young women belong in this game," Lee said. "We will continue to drive progress and strive to get this sport sanctioned so that young girls can envision a future where they can confidently say, 'I want to be a football player.'"

Excited about starting a Girls Flag Football team at your high school? Reach out to youthfootball@clevelandbrowns.com for more information! And for more information on how to get involved with NFL Flag, visit the official website.