'Let her play': Chiefs launch petition for high school girls' flag football in Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- In an effort to support the emerging growth of flag football, the Kansas City Chiefs revealed an advertising campaign called "Let Her Play" on Thursday in hopes of persuading the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) to make girls' flag football a sanctioned sport in the state.

In a 55-second video, the Chiefs showcased several girls who already play the sport. The Chiefs then highlighted girls in Kansas who can only dream of representing their school by playing organized flag football. The Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls in the past seven years, want their campaign to raise awareness ahead of the vote the KSHSAA board will hold April 23 to determine whether girls' flag football will be sanctioned. The Chiefs say they believe having the support from KSHSAA will give more girls the opportunity to play the sport and increase pathways to later play in college.

"There's over 20 million people playing flag football worldwide right now," Chiefs president Mark Donovan said Thursday. "Over half of a million girls [ages] 6 to 17 play flag. Right now, a girl in Kansas can't play for a state championship and can't play organized high school flag football. What this vote does is give them that opportunity."

Donovan said the Chiefs have been working for six years to increase the sport's growth among girls in Kansas. Based on data from their campaign, the Chiefs said high school girls' flag football participation in the state of Kansas grew 163% from 2024 to 2025.

"What we do know is flag, globally, is growing very fast," Chiefs club owner Clark Hunt said Monday at the NFL owners meeting. "It's growing fast in the U.S., particularly the female demographic. There's lots of positive statistics about a translation of people who played flag football becoming fans of the NFL. Long term, it'll be very beneficial for the league."

The vote will be decided by the 73 members of the KSHSAA board. It includes high school principals, school board representatives, athletic directors and superintendents. At least 51% of the board must vote yes for the petition to pass. If that happens, Kansas will become the 18th state to sanction the sport. The Chiefs also have the petition on their website that fans can sign.

The Chiefs' video ends with prominent members of the organization -- including coach Andy Reid, Donovan and players such as right guard Trey Smith, center Creed Humphrey and receiver Xavier Worthy -- shouting the three-word phrase, "Let Her Play," as a final call to action for the KSHSAA board.

Donovan says he understands that passing the vote could be one of the critical first steps of a future girls' flag football star who is from Kansas with potential to perform in the 2028 Summer Olympics and perhaps a professional league.

"That would make it possible for a young girl in Kansas being able to play high school flag football for a state championship, get a full-ride scholarship to play college flag football, play on an Olympic flag football team and then after that play in a professional flag football league," Donovan said Monday at the owners meeting. "That's an exciting opportunity that we've been a real, real big supporter of.

"There's probably some kids, boys and girls, who are potentially going to really focus on flag. Maybe they're smaller, faster, quicker or [other] reasons why they'd be better at that than tackle football. It's another opportunity for those kids."