Las Vegas all-girls flag football league set for March start

Cole Reed saw a need and an opportunity.

Girls interested in playing flag football in the Las Vegas Valley were underserved, he said.

Reed, who lives in Henderson, and his organization 200% Sports are forming an all-girls flag football league this year for age groups from under-12 to under-16. Reed is the CEO and president of the organization, which is aimed at helping youths in lower-income homes get involved in athletics.

Until recently, there were no all-girls teams or divisions in the Las Vegas area, Reed said. Registration is taking place, and the season is scheduled to begin in March.

Even if the league is still in the planning process, Reed clearly has talent already in place.

The organization’s under-14 girls team won the USA Flag Regional Championships on Nov. 3 at All American Park at South Buffalo Drive and West Charleston Boulevard. The Raiders, who will move to Las Vegas in 2020, partnered with NFL Flag to help run the event.

That means the local team will play in the national tournament as one of the events leading up to the Jan. 27 Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Its U14 boys finished second and also will play in Orlando.

Those appearances are a major boost for what Reed envisions for his league. He said it costs $180,000 to $200,000 to properly field an all-girls division representing three age groups. The expenses include equipment, field rentals, insurance, game officials and other costs.

“We can do it for less, but if we want all the bells and whistles and have enough money to fund other kids whose parents can’t afford (the costs of playing), we need around $180,000,” Reed said. “We can get it started for less. Obviously, we’re doing that, but we just won’t be able to help as many kids as we would like to until we start generating more money and getting more sponsorships.”

The plan for Reed, 37, and his organization isn’t limited to girls.

Brenda Barranco, 43, is working to establish a program for players with special needs. Barranco, who lives near Sunset Park and is the chief administrative officer for 200% Sports, plans to begin with 10 players the first year covering ages 5 to 15 and match them with teachers and parents experienced in working with special-needs youngsters.

Her hope is to begin when the spring league starts.

“I’m starting slow this first year because I want to see where this program is going to go and have it be a really small one-to-one ratio for some of the classes,” Barranco said. “My vision is to have a skills camp one day a week and a second day of week to go out with some of the teams … and do a mock game with some of the regular teams.

“It’s a win-win for everybody when you do that.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.