Cal Searock is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Liberty High School for AZPreps365.com.

Liberty High School’s inaugural girls flag football team is facing both excitement and obstacles as it helps shape one of Arizona’s newest high school sports.

Head coach Josh Ahlvin said that the team has faced logistical obstacles while establishing routines that come naturally to long-standing varsity sports.

“One of the biggest challenges has been building a structure while the sport itself is still finding its footing statewide,” Ahlvin said. “With more established sports, there's already a rhythm in place — things like set field times, officials' transportation schedules, and routines everyone understands. For us, being a new program and a new sport, it's been about creating that rhythm from scratch.”

The Arizona Interscholastic Association officially sanctioned girls flag football in December 2022, making it one of the newest sports at the high school level.

With Liberty's girls' and boys' football seasons running simultaneously, competition for field time has required flexibility.

“Field access is probably the biggest hurdle,” Ahlvin said. “Obviously, with flag football running at the same time as traditional football, most schools simply do not have the field space to accommodate all of the activities at the school.”

The team practices at Liberty Park, utilizing the nearest city park as their field. While they’re grateful for the space, it lacks some of the amenities and markings found on school fields. This adds to the learning curve.

Ahlvin noted that this challenge has ultimately strengthened the team’s resilience, as adapting to less-than-ideal conditions has made them more resourceful and determined.

“In any sport, knowing and adapting to the field of play is one of the most important factors for success,” he said.

Scheduling games and securing officials has been another challenge for the program. Ahlvin said the limited number of certified flag football referees in the state has required the team to remain flexible. He added that both referee availability and travel logistics reflect the sport’s growing pains, as transportation departments are still learning to accommodate an additional sport in their schedules.

“It’s definitely required flexibility and communication from everyone involved, but our players and staff have done a great job adapting,” he said.

Athletic Director Eric Gardner said funding has not been restrictive for the Lions.

“We don't face any funding challenges at Liberty High School,” Gardner said. “We did just start flag football with AIA, but we have had the full support of the district to get them off the ground.”

Gardner credited the AIA with helping ensure that new sports receive equal opportunities and oversight as programs continue to grow statewide.

For Gardner, success in athletics is about creating meaningful experiences for students regardless of the sport’s age or status.

“Success is about the experiences that our students have within these programs, and the ability to have a club or sport to connect to determines our success,” Gardner said.

As the team closes its first season, coaches and players are building more than a record — they are building a foundation for future athletes who will benefit from their efforts.