By MATT PIKE
As the Kansas State High School Activities Association nears a decision to sanction girls flag football as an official sport, the Kansas City Chiefs have launched a campaign showing support for the growth of the sport.
The Chiefs announced the launch of a new girls Flag Football campaign celebrating the sport’s rapid growth and the expanding opportunities it is creating for student-athletes across the region, while spotlighting what is still missing. At the heart of the effort is a Chiefs flag with a strip of fabric intentionally missing from the middle, symbolizing the opportunity not yet fully available for girls across Kansas to compete in school-based Flag Football.
The campaign invites fans and communities statewide to help fill in that missing piece by taking action through an online petition now live, as Kansas approaches a high school sanctioning decision. Ahead of the pivotal April 23rd vote by KSHSAA on whether to sanction girls Flag Football as an official high school sport, the Chiefs are mobilizing fans, employees, and community partners statewide to support.
Sanctioning would allow schools statewide to offer structured programs, establish standardized rules and governance, and create the opportunity for official state championship competition. The decision would also help formalize a sustainable pathway from youth participation through high school athletics, expanding access while elevating the sport’s visibility and long-term viability across Kansas.
“This is about opportunity,” said Chiefs President Mark Donovan in a news release from the team. “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.”
A newly released video features a broad mix of voices joining the Chiefs in support of the upcoming vote, including head coach Andy Reid, Chiefs legends Will Shields and Trent Green, trailblazing coaches Liz and Katie Sowers, and Kansas City cultural icons Tech N9ne and Heidi Gardner. Players, coaches, staff members, and community leaders chant “Let HER Play,” underscoring the collective call for access and school-based participation in Flag Football.
As part of the initiative, the Chiefs have partnered with Hy-Vee locations in Lawrence, Topeka, Lenexa, Mission, Olathe, Overland Park, and Prairie Village to provide fans with opportunities to take action locally. More than 55 Chiefs staff members were stationed at participating Hy-Vee stores throughout Kansas to kick off the campaign and hand out “Let HER Play” flags and keychains and encourage community members to sign the petition in support of girls Flag Football sanctioning.
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