The Baltimore Ravens and Under Armour have partnered to provide grant funding to member schools of the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletics Association (MPSSAA) for the development of high school girls’ flag football programs.
The Ravens are committing $250K over five years to support the initiative, with a target launch for the programs in the fall of 2022.
This grant accompanies the MPSSAA’s commitment to developing new and innovative athletic opportunities that benefit the physical, social and emotional well-being of female student-athletes.
Under Armour – a leading inventor, marketer and distributor of branded athletic performance apparel, footwear and accessories – will outfit custom uniforms for each high school team.
The MPSSAA, which annually administers programs for over 111,000 participants from 199 public schools in the 24 local Maryland educational agencies, will institute the league’s rules and facilitate all field setup, uniform guidelines, game official framework and other areas of operation.
Through this grant program, female high school students in Maryland will receive new opportunities to participate and enjoy a fast-paced, fun sport that has experienced steady growth throughout the country in recent years.
Highlighted by a partnership between the NFL and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, flag football has proven to be an emerging offering for girls.
“We are proud to partner with Under Armour on this groundbreaking initiative,” Ravens senior vice president of marketing Brad Downs stated. “Football is the ultimate team sport, and we believe young female student-athletes deserve an opportunity to experience the incredible life lessons it teaches.
We’re excited to help establish a program that will create a new varsity sport for high school girls who are eager to play the game of football.”
“At Under Armour, we believe everyone should have the opportunity and ability to play sports at every level, particularly young girls whose confidence can be impacted by lack of access to sport,” said Sean Eggert, senior vice president of global sports marketing at Under Armour.
“We are proud to support the Baltimore Ravens and MPSSAA to bring flag football to girls across Maryland.”
GRANT APPLICATIONS
Schools interested in starting a girls’ flag football team can apply for grants to fund their respective programs. Each local school system will be able to apply for a grant through the MPSSAA.
All teams participating in the high school girls flag football league will be included in Ravens RISE events and experiences.