Reyna Stanley is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesa High School for AZPreps365.com

MESA, Ariz. — As girls flag football continues to grow across Arizona high schools, Mesa High is balancing the costs of running varsity and junior varsity teams with funding from its athletic department, grants and community support.

The Arizona Interscholastic Association sanctioned girls flag football in Dec.  2022, with schools beginning official competition in 2023. Since then, programs across the state have had to find ways to cover expenses ranging from equipment and uniforms to officials, transportation and postseason costs. 

Girls flag football in Arizona has benefited from larger investments as it has expanded, including  a $100,000 equipment grant from Nike and the NFL to help AIA schools develop their  programs. The Arizona Cardinals have also contributed to the growth of the sport. 

At Mesa, that outside support is one part of a larger funding system.

One source of support is the Mesa HoHoKams , a nonprofit organization that provides grants to community programs and organizations throughout Mesa. The organization’s grants are reviewed and certified through the Mesa Sports Association led by Ron Duranti.

“We want to see that the money is being used for equipment, field rentals, improvements and stuff like that,” Duranti said. He explained that they understand expenses can be significant for many programs, which is why the group  offers financial assistance, but that travel costs are something programs must budget for themselves.

The HoHoKams are one piece of a larger funding system for high school athletics. Programs can also receive support through district athletic budgets, corporate partnerships and donations.

At Mesa, most of the program’s funding comes through the athletic department, while the team’s parent-led booster club provides additional support.

“I depend on the coach and my equipment managers to tell me what we have to get for next year, what would be nice to get for next year and what’s like a dream gift or dream piece of equipment that we haven’t been able to afford in the past,” athletic director Jack Francis said.

For the team, some of the biggest expenses are not necessarily equipment. Francis said the most expensive purchase for girls flag football this year was new footballs. Still, the equipment for the program is less costly than that needed for tackle football.

Head coach Mikhail Barton said the program uses fundraising to cover smaller expenses and give back to the players. The team raises money through community sponsors, restaurant fundraisers such as Chipotle nights and online donation campaigns.

“Anything like bigger budget things like jerseys, uniforms or things like that is provided through the school because it’s costly,” Barton said.

Barton said he would like to see additional funding for better travel uniforms and practice gear, as well as tents to provide shade for players during tournaments and summer games. He said fundraising can also be challenging because flag football is a fall sport competing for donations with larger programs while families are already spending money on back to school expenses.

For now, the program uses the funding available to cover its needs while finding ways to make the most of additional community support. The spending decisions show that supporting a high school team involves more than simply providing equipment and can also mean funding the smaller expenses that affect players throughout a season.