Harford Community College will host a free clinic and open tryout for its women’s flag football program from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Harford Sports Complex.

The clinic is open to girls ages 12 and older and doesn’t require any experience.

Flag football is a new sport on HCC’s campus; it was added after women’s lacrosse was eliminated. Before the college cancelled lacrosse, it received a $10,000 grant from NJCAA to hire coaches, establish recruiting and begin building a flag football team by 2026.

The college saw the addition of flag football as the “best opportunity to offer more opportunities for female athletes,” according to athletic director Ed Liesch.

The flag football team will kick off its inaugural season in spring 2026.

The Baltimore Ravens partnered with the college to produce this event. Special guests from the organization will make an appearance, including Ravens cheerleaders, mascot Poe and former Ravens player Qadry Ismail, who was a member of the team that won the 2001 Super Bowl.

Once the clinic is finished, Andre Smalls, head women’s flag football coach at the college, will hold open tryouts. A limited number of scholarships are available, according to a news release from the college.

The clinic will be run by Tom Laneve, who has worked for the Ravens in various positions since 1998.

Girls flag football has experienced a surge in participation across the state, due largely to a partnership with the NFL. The Ravens in 2023 launched the first Girls Flag pilot league in Frederick County with 10 teams. In 2024, the sport expanded to include four more counties with 53 teams. There are now teams in Baltimore City, Washington County and Montgomery County as well, with more than 1,000 girls participating.

Only 15 states have sanctioned girls flag football as a high school varsity sport. Maryland is running pilot programs at select schools to evaluate if the state should sanction the sport.

Have a news tip? Contact Shaela Foster at sfoster@baltsun.com or 443-826-5894.

Originally Published: May 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM EDT