WASHINGTON (7News) — Inside IDEA Public Charter School, high school girl athletes are running flag football drills.

Gatorade, national nonprofit GENYOUth, the NFL, and the Washington Commanders hosted an NFL FLAG-In-School (FIS) skills and drills clinic. The clinic will celebrate Gatorade’s $1 million donation to GENYOUth in support of NFL FLAG-In-School, which will provide 1,000 flag football kits and potentially engage more than 550,000 students nationwide, the Commanders announced.

“One in four children don’t meet the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity, the CDC recommends; we create programs like NFL Flag in school that really offer a turnkey solution for Physical Education teachers to introduce the love of football to their students, especially girls,” Lauren Izzo, the Vice President of Programs at GENYOUth, told 7News.

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Flag football has seen massive growth over the last few years – so much so that the sport will be included as an Olympic sport for men and women to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.

The Washington Commanders and the NFL have invested millions into creating flag football as a premier sport nationally.

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“My girls literally feed off of me. They come to my games, and they see it in real life. So they understand it just doesn’t stop here; it’s now collegiate; it’s now in the Olympics. Girls are getting scholarships left and right,” Tierra Reeves, head coach at KIPP DC, told 7News.

Izzo said Flag in school is currently in about 30,000 schools, but they’re hoping to reach as many schools and students as they can.

“I want to participate in flag football because nobody in my family never ever did football so I would be the first one to do it,” Shyan Muscelly said.

Muscelly, a 9th grader, said prior to the clinic she’d never played flag football, but after today’s activities, she may be ready to hit the gridiron.