Story Written By: Damon Cook CHSAANow.com
AURORA, Colo. — The ThunderRidge flag football team is participating in the inaugural season of the sport, and is off to a hot 7-2 start this year. Under head coach Shane King, the Grizzlies are looking to usher in a new age of flag football, led by the trailblazing girls at the helm.
Shane King
Overall Record at ThunderRidge: 7-2
Overall Record as Head Coach: 7-2
Previous Coaching Experience: Tackle football defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach (17 years), track and field - sprints (11 years), freshman basketball (2 years), sports performance (15 years), head coach (12 years).
How did you get into coaching flag football?
I'm originally from Iowa; I coached football there and also did some coaching while I was at Legend High School, before going to ThunderRidge. I had coached boys football for 17 years before I got out of coaching. When flag football was introduced, our AD at ThunderRidge came to myself and another coach and basically said, 'you guys are former football coaches, you're not doing anything in the fall, I need you to coach flag football for me.' So that's kind of how we got into it.
What has it been like to have flag be a sanctioned sport and how has your team adapted to the rule changes?
Being sanctioned is awesome. It's awesome in every way possible, especially as it adds another sport for the girls. I'm a girl dad, so it's super exciting for me having another sport for the girls to play.
I was happy with the rule changes. I know there were some people who weren't quite happy with the rule changes, but I like the bigger field dimension because I think it allows for a better game. Last year, everything felt really cramped trying to fit players into a 50x30 field. So, I was excited for the field dimensions changing.
Basically, it's a little bit of a different strategy with the screen blocking and the rushers coming from a yard away. To me, there's a little bit more strategy that goes into the game now.
Has your daughter taken any more interest in playing football since flag football became sanctioned?
Absolutely. My daughter just entered seventh grade over at Mountain Ridge, and she went out for the flag football team. So to prepare, her and I have been in the backyard, and we've gone to the park — and she has a little brother, he's in fifth grade, and he tries to play a little defense on her. I'll also make her play defense on him, and practice pulling flags and running some routes and things like that. So, yeah, it's been great.
How have you seen other sports that girls have played help them in flag football?
We have lacrosse players, we have basketball players, we have softball players, we have volleyball players, we have soccer players, track and field athletes, and we even have girls running cross country who are playing for us. We get all of the sports. So juggling the schedules is hard, but the way that we kind of try to relate to them is through their sport and saying, 'hey, like in basketball, when you are setting a screen,' and we try to relate to that. Or, it's playing defense... you've got to shuffle your feet on defense to stay in front of people. For lacrosse and soccer players, it's talking about how to create space as the offensive team and how to close space as the defensive team. And, 'hey, how would this look in your sport?' And they relay that information. We'll say, 'You do that same thing, we're just playing with a football instead.'
We try to relate it to their sport as much as possible. Our quarterback is the catcher for the softball team, so we talk about, 'hey, it's somebody stealing a base on you. It's catch the ball and quick release, on certain plays.' Just relating it to their sport that they know much better. It helps them learn faster.
What's it like being the leader of all these girls who are trailblazers?
The Arapahoe Youth League is trying to start up a league for girls flag football, which is amazing to hear. We have some of our ThunderRidge girls going to help with these camps that they're putting on. So that aspect of them taking that leadership role with the younger girls and teaching what they're learning from us, and hopefully we're doing a good job as coaches, that they can transfer that knowledge down to those girls. With it being the first year as a sanctioned sport in Colorado, it's a trailblazing effect, and it's super cool to be a part of.
How have you seen the ThunderRidge community rally behind flag football?
Our crowds aren't what we would like them to be yet, but in terms of the support — like just today, we had an assembly, and when our Director of Athletics Josh Stevenson recognized our girls flag football team and told them to stand up, the whole school was super loud, so I think they understand the early success that we've had this season. I have teachers all the time say 'hey, how are the girls doing?' 'When do you play next?' The community at ThunderRidge is really on board with us, and super supportive. We're very grateful.
What do you look forward to about the future of flag football?
I think what really excites me is just the opportunity that these girls have been given. Of course everybody wants to win, but I think one of the girls from last year's team made a comment that 'I got to meet and hang out with girls that I never would have, had it not been for flag football.' We do have a lot of girls that have never played a sport, or haven't played a sport in five-or-six years, so they're coming out for flag football just because it's a new thing, and it's a new opportunity. They're getting to meet new people and experience new things. And, I think that part is super exciting for our girls and for our team.
We have our eyes on a pretty high prize, and we would love to make a deep run in the playoffs. That would make for a fantastic season. And then going forward is establishing that AYL League and having ThunderRidge be a significant part of it.
