Shiloh Robinson ’27, a member of JV Football last year, led the creating of Andover’s newest Life Sport, flag football.
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing and largest youth sports, with over 2.4 million kids playing across the nation and a growth of 63% over the past four years. Set to debut as an Olympic sport in 2028 with heavy backing from the NFL, the sport’s rapid growth has been fueled by a diverse range of players. At Andover, student initiative has made flag football an official sport, giving non-male-identifying students the opportunity to play.
Shiloh Robinson ’27, who led the initiative to make flag football a sport, decided on the idea after playing in her youth. After playing JV Football last year, she hoped to find a space where non-male-identifying students could play football.
“Last year, my [Lower] year, I did JV Football. I had a lot of fun with that. I have played flag football in previous years. I only played football because [Andover] didn’t have flag football. I wanted a space where girls could play football as well. I had a meeting with [Director of Athletics] Ms. [Lisa] Joel. Over the summer, she sent me an email asking about it, and said that it would be an option. We talked about it, we had the idea, and Ms. Joel made it happen,” said Robinson.
Although she played a role in making flag football a sport, Joel stressed that Robinson’s initiative was crucial. She also noted Head Coach Karen Kennedy’s influence on the program as its first coach.
Joel said, “Flag football is a sport across the nation that is growing quickly in popularity. We have had a few students, notably Shiloh [Robinson], stepping forward to inquire about how it might be possible to have it as an offering at Andover. If it weren’t for the students, it might not have been possible, or at least not as fast. Especially if it weren’t for her appointments and gathering other students who are interested. In addition, Coach Kennedy was so eager to support this initiative for girls in the school to move forward at this moment in time.”
Even with the enthusiasm surrounding the new sport, the team encountered challenges. Chloe Nichols ’27 pointed out the obstacles they faced when recruiting new students. Additionally, Nichols detailed how many players on the team had never played football before.
“They didn’t have it as an offering for students to choose in the Spring, so in the beginning, it was on the board this fall and there were only two people. We reached out to everyone. If we knew anyone was interested, we reached out. Andover Athletics also posted it on their Instagram, and Andover’s main page also posted it… It was really word of mouth and through Instagram,” said Nichols.
Nichols continued, “Everyone came from a place of learning. No one is a star player. Everyone is learning and helping each other. A lot of people are more understanding of the beginning stages of catching and throwing a ball. It is really inclusive, with people trying to help each other and grow, supporting each other through play and warmups.”
As flag football grows in popularity, the team hopes to play as a competitive team in the near future. Robinson echoed the team’s desire to create a league and play against teams in New England.
Robinson said, “I really hope that this can grow as an interscholastic sport… I really hope that other schools will play, and we can play. I live in North Carolina, and many schools have teams, so they have a really great league going. I hope to do the same here in Massachusetts.”
Joel echoed Robinson, noting that she hopes that Andover’s flag football team will inspire other schools to create teams and will be the catalyst for a NEPSAC flag football league.
“I thought, let’s do it, let’s spread the word, how can we get kids involved, and other schools will follow our lead. We have planted a seed that is going to grow beyond Phillips Academy. It will grow in NEPSAC. While many sports start small, I am going to bet that when Shiloh [Robinson] comes back for reunions, it won’t only grow in Andover but in New England. She is going to be that first chapter of NEPSAC flag football’s story,” said Joel.
