Bolton School stages Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League

The school is one of 10 schools across the region involved in the Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League.

The sport is on the rise across the world with its inclusion in the 2028 Olympics, in Los Angeles, acting as a catalyst for change.

In Greater Manchester the schools are to take each other on before the top two take part in a Championship Event on May 22.

Phoebe Schecter, an ambassador for the Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League, and Shaun Gayle, an ex-Chicago Bears player and Super Bowl winner, were among those in attendance on Wednesday (April 24).

Ms Schecter, who was one of the first female coaches to work in the NFL, said the start of the first flag football league for girls in Greater Manchester was all about access at a significant stage in their development.

She said: "We lose a lot of girls aged 10 to 14 to sport whether it's because it's not cool or because they're not comfortable in their own bodies. But if we look at these girls they're confident from one day of playing. 

"They key is to give them the opportunities in sport. Boys are given a lot of opportunities in sport but this is something where everyone gets to be on a level playing field and everyone gets to have fun."

Gayle, who won Super Bowl XX in 1986, said: "It's exciting. The Olympics are four years away and now it's an Olympic sport. 

"Do the math and we might be looking out at a future Olympian for Great Britain."

Bolton School's team is coached by chemistry teacher Jack Williams who has concocted plays named after the area like Lever and Middlebrook or after the area's weather like lightning and thunder.

The team which wins the Chicago Bears NFL Girls Flag League is to be invited to a clash between the Chicago Bears and a to-be-confirmed opponent at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year.

For information go to chicagobears.com.

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.