Steelers Host Girls Flag Football Jamboree

The Pittsburgh Steelers held their second Girls Flag Football Jamboree at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on Sunday.

The organization hosted 100 girls between grades seventh through twelfth for the instructional event aimed at growing the game.

“We are excited to provide this opportunity for high schools in Western Pennsylvania,” President Art Rooney II told Steelers.com. “Flag Football is an exciting game, and already very popular in community programs, so it is great to provide high school girls with an opportunity to keep playing and represent their high school.”

Former Steelers safety Jordan Dangerfield participated in the event and assisted the players in attendance.

“It’s about the fun they are having, but it’s also amazing how competitive they are,” Dangerfield told Steelers.com. “They are out there trying to learn and get better. It means a lot to help them out, teach them the game, introduce them to certain techniques and things we do as professionals. To see the smiles on their faces means everything. It’s amazing to see what they are able to accomplish.”

The Steelers will also be generating a pilot program this spring in an attempt to make girls flag football a sanctioned high school sport in Pennsylvania.

“Girls Flag Football has been a big initiative from the NFL and other clubs,” Mike Marchinsky, the Steelers Youth and High School Football Marketing Manager, told Steelers.com. “Girls have been playing flag in different communities and organizations, it just wasn’t at the high school level. We wanted to create these two jamborees, the one in November and this one, to create awareness and have the girls go back to their schools and say flag football is a blast, I want to play it in my high school.”