By Insider Staff - Nov 5, 2019 | 2 comments

Maddie Short evades a defender while running with the ball. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Brooke Nelson carries the ball down the field. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Maddie Short runs like the wind with the ball in her hands. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Concord girls (and one from Bow) formed a flag football team to compete against boys' teams this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

The team: (Back row, from left) Gracen Arndt, Brooke Nelson, Chandler Curtis, Emma Pelletier, Keira Llewelyn and Maddie Short (Front row, from left) Olivia O’Conner, Sadie Pelletier and Sydney Brown. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Girls at Christa McAuliffe School formed a flag football team to compete against the boys' team this year, and they had a blast showing the boys "how it's done," according to student Gracen Arndt. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Sydney Brown reaches for a boy’s flag. Courtesy of Mike Pelletier

Football may be a men’s game at the professional level, but not at the Concord Parks and Recreation level. Earlier this year, the ever-popular NFL Flag Football program put on by the Parks and Rec department featured an all-girls team, and the young ladies held their own. The team featured nine girls – eight from Concord and one from Bow – in grades 4 through 6 who competed against boys’ teams throughout the flag football season. The girls, coached by Christa McAuliffe School teacher Mike Pelletier, went an impressive 5-2 in their inaugural season. By comparison, the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals are a combined 0-15 this year – and those guys get paid, and paid very well, at that. Maybe those teams could learn a thing or two from this all-girls team of elementary school kids, who felt good about their season.

“We had a great team of girls,” said Chandler Curtis. “I think we played well against the boys.” Gracen Arndt added, “It’s fun to learn how to play a new sport and show the boys how it’s done.” Maddie Short loved being on a team, saying “My favorite part of the flag football season was the feeling of playing the game. I’ve never actually been on a football team. It’s always been playing football at recess or passing at home. So getting to play on a real all-girls flag football team was really fun.”

While the season is now over, the girls look forward to getting back out on the field next year.