The DVHS flag football program has failed to see significant development in the popularity of their sport or backing from the student body, despite extensive growth in the team’s effort.
“I don’t feel like there’s any more people that are out there than there were last year. So yeah, I don’t know [if] there’s any increase in popularity,” Coach Kevin Barth noted. Statewide there has been a significant increase in popularity for flag football as an up-and-coming sport.
Entry to flag football games are now being charged, and small businesses are selling food at the gates. While this might seem like an accommodation for a popularity boost, that is not the case. From the ticket sales to fundraisers, these factors ultimately contribute to funding the program. Barth elaborated on the fact that it’s necessary for the program to acquire as many funds as possible to supply equipment and field rentals. Additionally, all players on the team are requested to supply a donation to contribute to raising funds.
“We feel that there’s enough people coming to hopefully generate some money but we’ve got to somehow figure it out,” Barth explained.
Barth believes the lack of enthusiasm may be attributed to the more academic oriented lifestyle at DV. However, he does hope for more students to come watch the games. Not only to support the team and their hard work, but also to encourage a rise in participation in the sport.
“I do wish more students would…just show appreciation to these kids that are participating and cheer them on a little bit,” Barth encouraged.
The team has grown significantly in terms of their skill, and they’ve been able to keep up with schools that have access to much larger resources and greater support. However, this effort has failed to be recognized by the student body.
The varsity players still hold out confidence that the sport will grow in future years, especially with the extensive efforts to market the games to the student body similar to football.
“For future years, I hope for more people that want to come to watch our home games and keep up with our progress,” senior cornerback Sayana Patel explained.
The team has been able to hold their own against top ranked teams such as California High School and San Ramon Valley High School, showcasing their growth in skill. The extensive training, time and effort the team has displayed this past season has shown in their final record, 4-5 in league and 4-9 overall.
However, there is still room for the team to grow, and players hope that the reputation and attention the sport gets at DV will also grow along with them.
“I hope for more people to take flag football seriously in the upcoming years,” junior cornerback Dorian Minioza expressed. “A lot of people don’t realize the difficulty especially when it comes to USA teams and collegiate teams.”
