Girls flag football surging in Pittsburgh with help from Steelers

PITTSBURGH — Girls flag football is experiencing a surge in the Pittsburgh area with help from the Steelers and an overall growing interest in women’s sports.

For several years, the opportunities for girls to play football locally were limited to co-ed leagues.

One of those options was the Pittsburgh Flag Football League, which was founded in 2009 by former Pitt football player Chris Curd.

“Early on, we had a handful of girls that were among 200-300 boys sometimes,” he said.

Eve Majewski, who just graduated from Oakland Catholic, was one of those girls.

Since then, she’s been a part of the movement to help the game explode in the Pittsburgh area.

“With girls, when you tell them something like football isn’t something that you could play, it makes everybody way more interested,” she said. “As soon as you start putting that opportunity out in front of these girls, girls want to play football.”

What began as just a few girls on co-ed teams has grown into 103 girls’ flag football teams across Pennsylvania.

The PIAA recently took the first step in sanctioning the sport.

The Steelers have been behind much of that effort on the western side of the state. They recently hosted the Girls Flag Football Championships. Fifteen teams competed in the event at Carnegie Mellon University.

This weekend, Majewski will be among those on an all-star team at the Big 33 Football Classic in Cumberland County. A showcase for the best football players in the state for the last 67 years, this is the first year the event is open to girls flag football.

The Steelers are among four NFL franchises sponsoring a team.

“This is not just an opportunity to play in the all-star game, you’re part of history,” said Curd, who is coaching the Steelers’ Big 33 team.

About two dozen Pittsburgh-area schools will be represented in the inaugural tournament.

“I’m looking forward to winning,” said Clairton’s Keira Brown, a member of the Big 33 team. “I’m gonna score, grab as many flags as I can and just win.

With the sport at a pivotal moment in Pennsylvania, some girls like North Catholic’s Naveh Kelly recognize they’re a part of the game’s history.

“I’m just gonna look back and be like, ‘Wow, I did that, and I’m excited to empower young girls who also want to play.’”

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group