NIAA to sanction flag football beginning in 2016-17 season

Since the first game in the 2012-13 season, flag football hasn’t been officially sanctioned by the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association.

That will change for the 2016-17 season.

The NIAA’s Board of Control approved sanctioning flag football as a state-sponsored sport during the second day of its spring meeting Thursday at Sam’s Town.

Currently, only Clark County School District schools participate in flag football, which is a winter sport and was started after the CCSD shifted girls soccer from winter to fall.

“This has been a long four- or five-year process,” said CCSD executive athletic director Ray Mathis, a member of the Board of Control. “We have increased girls participation numbers. It’s been a positive thing. It’s been a good thing for girls in Clark County.”

Flag football recently wrapped up its third season. Teams have played for a CCSD championship, which Boulder City won this season.

All participating schools are lumped into the same division, instead of broken out into Division I and I-A, as is the case with other sports in the state, though CCSD athletic director Pam Sloan said there will be a break-out into Division I and I-A for next season.

The NIAA will award a state championship once the sport is officially sanctioned.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids playing flag football that have not played any sport before,” board member Erin Cranor said. “It has been a good thing.”

Once the sport is sanctioned, it’s possible that schools outside of the CCSD may add flag football teams.

Nye County superintendent Dale Norton, a board liaison, indicated that he is receiving interest from at least one of his schools.

It’s not known if Bishop Gorman or Faith Lutheran, which are not CCSD members, would consider adding a team.

FOOTBALL PRACTICES — The board heard a proposal from the Northern Nevada Football Coaches Association that would allow the heat acclimatization period for football to begin earlier.

The schedule previously approved by the board for next season allows for a heat acclimatization period, or no equipment practice, to run from Aug. 8 to 12. Helmets-only practices would be Aug. 13 to 15, with the contact practices to run from Aug. 17 to 21 and the first possible scrimmage day as Aug. 22.

The first possible game day is Aug. 25, with the exception of any teams that would participate in the Sollenberger Classic.

The coaches association’s proposal, which was also supported by 30 Southern Nevada coaches, would move the heat acclimatization period from Aug. 5 to 8, followed by three days of helmets-only practice and eight days of contact practices before the first scrimmage.

“We’re not starting football early,” Mathis said. “We’re starting the heat acclimatization period early to give kids a chance to get used to the heat. We need to make every effort to get kids ready before participating in game action.”

The extra three days of contact practice in full gear also should help get players ready for games.

“This practice schedule will make our coaches better,” former Hug High football coach Rollins Stallworth said. “There’s a study out there that says you can’t really teach tackling unless you’re in helmets and shoulder pads. It will force coaches to work on fundamentals more.”

The board will vote on the proposal at its June meeting.

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.