Jerry Rice and Steve Young helped put the focus on the next generation this past weekend, hosting a girls flag football camp at Jesuit High School in Carmichael for girls ages 7 to 14. It was a simple idea with a bigger meaning: giving young players the chance to learn the game, compete and see a path into a sport that is growing fast.
The camp drew more than 100 girls and sat inside a wider push from Sutter Health, Steve Young and the Forever Young Foundation to expand youth health and wellness programs. For Rice, the setting matched the purpose. He said the camp let the girls experience togetherness and competition, while also making their excitement after a good catch or play easy to see.
A sport growing fast in California
The timing matters because girls flag football has become one of the clearest growth stories in the state. In February 2023, the California Interscholastic Federation's governing council voted 146-0 to add girls flag football as a varsity sport, and California high school girls flag football became officially sanctioned later in 2023. By the 2025-26 school year, more than 102,000 girls were playing high school flag football and 3,990 schools were reporting participants.
That kind of rise helps explain why events like this now carry more weight than a simple celebrity appearance. Steve Young described it as helping level the playing field by giving girls a real chance to play football, while also calling it the fastest-growing sport in America. He also said he and Rice have used their bond to raise money for good causes.
Why the camp matters beyond one weekend
Warner Thomas framed the work in broader community terms, saying the aim is to give back to the community and promote activity and healthier lives among young people. That is the real value of a camp like this. It is not only about teaching technique at rotating drill stations, but about making the sport feel accessible.
The reach is not limited to Northern California either. Sutter Health had earlier scheduled a separate morning session at Palo Alto High School on Jan. 31, showing how the effort is being carried into more than one part of the state. Nationally, the numbers keep moving too, with girls flag football now played in 12 states and 23 states plus Washington, D.C. on the broader participation map.
For Rice, the camp was another reminder of how powerful football can be when it opens doors instead of closing them. And for young players in Carmichael, having two Hall of Famers on hand made the message impossible to miss.
That kind of visibility matters, especially when the sport is still building momentum. As the profile of girls flag football continues to rise, camps like this show how the game is being pushed forward one session at a time.
