New DHS football field premiers new Vikings sport: girls flag football
DANVILLE, Ill. — On August 30, Danville High School held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate their newly renovated football field. Cutting the ribbon were administration and the school board. Immediately after, the newest sport at DHS, IHSA sanctioned girls flag football, made it’s debut.
Coaches Bryan Simmons and Taylor Volmer sat down with me after an exhibition game for the student body to share their thoughts.
When asked what surprised her about the new season, Coach Volmer talked about all the publicity surrounding the startup. “It really brought a lot of publicity. We were making “herstory” and getting a lot of unexpected attention.” Even the members of Coach Simmon’s mother-in-law’s church were talking it up.
DHS has also caught the attention of other nearby schools. “Other schools want to do this next year, and they are looking at us on what to expect,” adds Coach Simmons. “And with more local schools fielding teams next year, our travel will be less. We make a lot of trips up north right now.”
The expansion of the sport won’t stop there. Although only a sport in Illinois high schools for the last few years, the state’s goal is for every high school to have a girls flag football team. In fact, flag football “Will be a sport in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028,” adds Volmer.
Danville’s teams have a total roster of 35 athletes: 17 at the Varsity level, and 18 at the JV level. Varsity Captains are Nickiya Shields and Eniya Carter. Varsity Assistant Captains are Wisdom Lipscomb and Gabrielle Rule, who are in training to be Varsity Captains next year.
How does it feel to be the first team to play on the new field? “It was well worth the wait,” says Volmer. “We watched the progress all summer, and it was breathtaking. We are so excited to be the first game on the new field!”
Danville defeated Peoria Richwoods 12-6 in the game. “We were excited to get the first win on the new field,” addded Simmons. “I think there is a healthy competition between the boys and girls teams this year to see who gets the most victories at home.” At the time of this writing, the girls were obviously winning that competition.
Even though there were some athletes from other sports on this team, there were numerous novice athletes. Says Coach Simmons, “It was hard to get them to all come together. Previous athletes were used to giving it their all. For the new athletes, it was a challenge to get them adjusted to our level of hard work. But they came through.”
And come together as a team they did. Just a couple of weeks before the first game, a player took responsibility for an incident she was not responsible for so the team could move forward. That athlete was required to do some traditional “character building extra running”. When they realized what was happening, 90% of the team ran with their teammate. Teamwork had made its arrival.
As in so many other sports, it isn’t just about the game. “Seeing these young ladies come together is great,” says Coach Volmer. “We have girls that haven’t had the best opportunities in life, and this sport changed them. Girls that have had incredible life challenges have become leaders. It’s amazing what can happen when you listen to their stories.”
DHS Athletic Director Mark Bacys agrees. “This game (the 12-6 victory) was more than just a win on the field—it was a win for our students, district and community. It was a powerful example of one thing we all strive for as educators….inclusion.
“It’s amazing to see the strides we are making together to create opportunities for all students, regardless of gender, to engage, compete, and shine.”
What does Coach Simmons look forward to in the future? “I’d love to see the sport grow in this area,” he says. “Some colleges in Illinois offer scholarships for flag football. I would love to see that go to a girl that might not otherwise qualify for any scholarships.”
A new field for Danville High School, and new girls introduced to organized sports. Absolutely some of the stories worth hearing.
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