Football P.E.I. hosting 1st women-only flag football training sessions

Football P.E.I. is offering its first flag football training opportunity for young women only.

The sessions will start next week, taking place Tuesday nights at East Wiltshire School from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The six sessions will help choose players for two teams for the Atlantic Flag Championships — an under-16 and an under-18 team — that will compete against teams from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador at UPEI in August.

While those championships were cancelled last year due the pandemic, Meagan Ferguson, coach for the under-16 team, says P.E.I. has been fortunate this year in terms the pandemic impacts to the sport.

"We've been able to successfully run some flag games both at the school level and in the community level," she said speaking to Island Morning host Laura Chapin.

Ferguson said those two leagues just wrapped up and a lot of girls have been playing flag football.

"The school league itself had roughly 30 teams of females competing at the A and the AA levels. And also with Football P.E.I., we had roughly 40 girls competing at the community leagues in a co-ed system," she said.

"With these wrapping up it's just the perfect time to keep these girls involved with the sport moving forward in the summer."

'Multidimensional sport'

Although there are many girls on P.E.I. playing flag football, Ferguson said the sessions are open to any girl between the ages of 13 and 17 who wants to try the sport.

"Flag football is really that multidimensional sport, where if you can run, if you are an athlete you can learn and pick up these systems pretty quickly," she said.

Those at the training sessions will learn football fundamentals and strategy, Ferguson said.

"We're hoping that this will be a good stepping stone for anyone who is looking to keep developing over the summer," she said. "We'll probably have an open tryout for the U16 and U18 following this camp."

There is no limit on registration and about 15 girls have registered so far. 

It costs $60 to take part in the six-week training camp. Those interested can sign up on the Football P.E.I. website.

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