Tam Union school district faces persistent pressure over flag football

Some parents and students still want to start a girls flag football team at Redwood High School this fall, even though the Tamalpais Union High School District favors next year.

“I think the Tam District wanting to wait until 2026 feels like an excuse, a waste of time, and the cause of a great loss for seniors who will be graduating,” said Ellie Gilbert, who plays on the Terra Linda High School team. “What might seem as a small pushback of a year to the district is actually the complete prevention for some of these girls to ever play flag football for their school.”

Gilbert was one of more than a dozen students, parents and coaches to address the Tam Union trustees at their board meeting on Tuesday.

“Delaying the launch of girls flag football at Redwood means delaying opportunity not just for competition, but for growth, leadership and real pathways to college,” said JaSin Carlen, a parent in the district. “This sport is exploding nationally. Other schools are already building programs, gaining exposure and preparing their athletes for future scholarship consideration.”

Carlen added that girls flag football teams would increase equity for families of limited means. The sport does not require a huge financial commitment and participation in “club sports” with high fees, Carlen said.

Mark Gilbert, the father of Ellie Gilbert, said he is “disappointed by the district’s apparent decision to delay girls flag football until 2026.”

Gilbert said while some of the trustees appeared “disinterested” or “dismissive” at the board meeting, “we remain hopeful that the information and perspectives shared by students and parents will be thoughtfully considered.”

“We’re optimistic that continued dialogue will lead to a timely and inclusive solution, which we are hopeful will allow the team to start this coming season,” he said.

Gilbert also disputes the district’s data showing that it is in compliance with Title IX, the federal law that mandates equity in school sports. The district asserts that its number of girls sports teams at Redwood is in a 2% proportional alignment with the number of girls there, as the federal law requires.

“Our female students are 48% of the population at Redwood and 46% of athletes at Redwood,” said Chris McCune, the district’s athletics coordinator, who presented the district’s position at the board meeting.

Redwood has six fall girls sports with 10 teams, McCune said. The sports are cross country, volleyball, waterpolo, field hockey, tennis and golf.

McCune said waiting until fall 2026 for flag football allows more time to organize teams, not only at Redwood, but also at Tamalpais and Archie Williams high schools.

“As a practice, we try to add the same sports teams to all three comprehensive sites at the same time,” he said.

McCune said the district plans to hold interest meetings at the three high schools in the fall “with the goal of bringing a recommendation to the board by November 2025 for the 2026 fall sports season.”

He said the projected budget to add a team is $12,361 per school.

The California Interscholastic Federation, the organization that governs high school athletics, declared girls flag football an official high school sport in 2023.

Marin launched its first girls flag season with two teams, Terra Linda and San Marin high schools, in 2023. San Rafael and Novato high schools added teams in the 2024-25 school year.