FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - The New England Patriots are helping girls from several local high schools get out on the field this year through a new flag football league.
As the season approaches and after receiving new jerseys this week, players said they’re excited to get started.
“It was really exciting,” said Leominster High School flag football player Ashley McMeneny. “We’ve never had something big like this. Flag football has never been this big.”
Eight Massachusetts teams are part of the inaugural season of the Patriots Foundation’s new girls flag football league, including teams from Leominster, Fitchburg and Needham high schools.
Players were at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough on Thursday, to receive their jerseys. Speaking with 7NEWS, girls on the teams said the new league marks important representation.
“Women’s sports have never been a big thing, especially with football,” McMeneny said. “So, now it’s getting introduced into schools.”
“It’s very exciting,” McMeneny continued. “It’s a very exciting thing.”
The Patriots Foundation gave each school a $5,000 grant to support the sport.
Former Patriots player and NFL hall of fame member Andre Tippett said the foundation took this step to give young women more opportunities to get full ride scholarships to college.
“Now they have made and opened roads for young ladies to move on to the next level and there’s some good females that are out there playing the game,” Tippett said.
The girls flag football season starts next Thursday.
As opening kickoff approaches, players on teams in the new league said they have their eyes on one thing – returning to Gillette for the league championship in June.
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