The Lions are now funding girls’ flag football as it kickstarts its practices and gathers players. Belleville High coach and English teacher, Marcus Napthen has taken the lead in spreading the word for aspiring girls who want a chance at an opportunity that only 15 states have to offer.
Girls’ flag football for Belleville started with an email to Mr. Napthen in early September, as he had coached flag football in the past. He was then contacted by Bryon and Jennifer Kelley, who officially asked if he’d be interested in coaching the team. Following the recruitment of Mr. Napthen as the flag football coach, came a meeting with the Detroit Lions and the NFL. The MHSAA specifically when asked about varsity status by the Lions, a need for more involvement of interested teams had been expressed, before considering girls’ flag football an official varsity sport at the high school level. Marcus Napthen’s long-term goal is to put the idea of an official K-12 District Flag Football Program into motion. Napthen says, “We set up team meetings, people came out, we had a lot of interest, the ‘buzz’ started to get around the school, and we had several people who were interested, and right now I believe we have about twenty people on our roster.” The Lions invested $2500 into jerseys for Belleville High and will be sending equipment, paying for referees, and free clinics.
The first game will occur against Dexter High School on May 4th at 4:00 P.M. Mr. Napthan adds, “We are excited to showcase Belleville High School, and if we do well, we will qualify for the state championship.”
When asked about what there is to look forward to, Jamia Stevens, a student at Belleville High interested in the program says, “I think it’s a good opportunity to get my name out there, and just have something good for myself outside of school.”
Another student, Ryleigh Rochon, says, “I feel like just learning how to play and getting the opportunity actually play–they don’t really have girls playing football–so being able to actually like get into it and learn all this stuff, that has to be like the most interesting thing for me.”
