CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A new opportunity is coming for young female athletes in Corpus Christi as the RISE Flag Football League prepares to launch its inaugural season this fall.
The national league previously did not have a Corpus Christi league until Jay Mouton decided to start a local chapter. Mouton got the idea while coaching his daughter and recognizing the need for a girls-only flag football team in the area.
"I just watched this behemoth that girls flag football is becoming, just growing in other states. And I questioned like, hey, why not Corpus? Why is it not here?" Mouton said.
The league will offer divisions for girls from 3rd grade to 10th grade and includes a seven-game season.
One player, Daneryss, explained what motivated her to join: "My biggest inspiration was kind of like summer, like getting more like athletic and stuff and like trying out new sports and getting faster and stronger."
When asked what message they would share with other girls who might be interested in the sport, player Kensley had encouraging words.
"I would just say try it, because you're going to like it. If you like running and just having fun with friends, this is for you," Kensley said.
Another motivating factor for these young athletes is that flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna try to do it. I'm gonna do it," player Kenley said about her Olympic aspirations.
Mouton hopes to establish Corpus Christi as a notable location for girls' flag football.
"We can have some Olympians right here, right? We can have, if not these kids, I guarantee you we have talent in Corpus Christi where we have some future kids around here that can be on that level," Mouton said.
RISE Flag Football also offers a co-ed' league for those interested. For more information, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
