In Dothan, Alabama—where Friday night lights have long defined community pride—a different kind of football took center stage this fall.
The 2025 Alabama High School Girls Flag Football Early Season Tournament brought together 15 teams and more than 400 players and coaches for two days of competition and celebration. What began as a small showcase a year ago has quickly become one of the state’s most anticipated events for girls flag football.
Presented by the RCX Sports Foundation, in partnership with the NFL, Atlanta Falcons, and Alabama Power Foundation, the tournament was designed to give girls a platform to play, grow, and belong in the game. And thanks to support from the Foundation, every participating team played free of charge, removing barriers to entry.
A Homegrown Effort with a Bigger Purpose
For Izell Reese, Dothan native, former NFL player, and CEO of RCX Sports, hosting the event in his hometown was personal.
“To come back here and see hundreds of girls getting the chance to experience the game is what this work is all about,” Reese said. “We want every girl to know there’s a place for her in football.”
That vision is at the heart of the RCX Sports’ mission: creating access and opportunity for youth athletes across the country, particularly in underrepresented communities and emerging sports like girls flag football.
Growing the Game, One Season at a Time
The tournament, held September 12–13 at Westgate Park, marked a 60 percent increase in participation from last year, with teams traveling from across Alabama to compete.
By the end of the weekend, three programs stood atop their brackets: Vestavia Hills High School captured the A Bracket Championship, Helena High School earned the B Bracket title, and Opelika High School took home the C Bracket crown—each representing the growing depth of talent in girls flag football across the state.
The event also welcomed partners and guests including representatives from the Atlanta Falcons, local leaders, and college recruiters like Tyrone Poole, head coach of the newly launched women’s flag football program at Alabama State University—the first Division I HBCU to offer the sport.
For Sydney Mann-Howard, Events and Programs Marketing Manager at RCX Sports, who helped lead the event for the RCX Sports Foundation, the tournament underscored the momentum behind girls flag football in Alabama and the Females in Flag initiative.
“Our goal is to keep building opportunities for girls to play and continue their journey in the sport,” she said. “From high school programs to college scholarships and beyond, we want to make sure girls have a platform to compete and a pathway to keep going.”
Her words echo a larger trend: girls flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. In Alabama alone, the sport is now sanctioned by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, with more than 130 schools fielding teams this season—up from 109 last year.
Partnerships That Power Progress
From the Atlanta Falcons’ on-field activations to Jersey Mike’s support and Alabama Power’s community investment, the event brought together organizations that share a belief in the power of sport to open doors.
“It takes collaboration,” Reese said. “When groups like Alabama Power, the Falcons, and AHSAA step up, it creates opportunities that change lives.”
What’s Ahead
When the last whistle blew in Dothan, the focus wasn’t on the scoreboard. It was on the energy, the teamwork, and the sense of possibility carried by every player walking off the field.
Through events like this, the RCX Sports Foundation is helping girls flag football move from a promising new sport to a lasting part of Alabama’s athletic culture—one team, one season, one community at a time.