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Touchdown: Flag Football Introduced To Regina Dominican

Natalia Cerrado breaks from the opposition to make her pass.
Natalia Cerrado breaks from the opposition to make her pass.
Photo Credit/ Kylie Hammer

Regina Dominican has many sports to offer that students participate in. The newest sport sanctioned by the Illinois High School State Association (IHSA) for fall 2025 is girls flag football. 

The Regina community is very excited for this first season of flag football. Coach Bittick, and Coach Calalang will be leading the team in this historic sports year.  Their goal is for everyone to be dedicated to the sport while also having fun. They want to pass on their passion for the sport to their players.

With a sudden growth in popularity, Regina, along with one hundred other high schools, have established a flag football team to play this first historic year. 

The players, coaches, and schools have The Chicago Bears to thank for spearheading the effort to get the sport sanctioned. Bears President &CEO Kevin Warren and Chairman George H. McCaskey not only supported the sport, but knew flag football would be a perfect fit for girls. They wrote a letter in 2023 to every Illinois athletic director asking their help to push the decision forward. The Chicago Bears has also been active with schools by sending staff to schools and letting the girls try out the sport. The Bears came last spring and the day was certainly a success!

Since the announcement of the addition of flag football, many Regina students have pursued it as a new athletic opportunity. According to a survey Crown sent out to athletes at the school , around 75% of existing Regina athletes dropped another sport for the challenge to play flag football. Nearly 20 Regina students are on the roster.

One of the new, sophomore players, Isla Hoffman, left her previous sport, volleyball to play flag football. She described one of her challenges and said, “Learning a new sport is difficult, but it was a lot of fun to learn.” 

She also mentioned that her personal goal is to get an interception. The success of flag football wouldn’t have been possible without the outstanding coaches. They are very proud of how far the team has come in the short amount of time they have had together

Coach Bittick said to the players, “You guys aren’t just a team, you are a football team.”

Many of the players said that the coaches are one of the best parts of being on the team

Congratulations to the flag football team for making Regina Dominican history! Best of luck to the players and coaching staff as this season progresses. The Regina community is looking forward to everything you will accomplish!

Regina will be playing in Sectionals on Tuesday, Oct. 15.  More details to follow. Stay current on upcoming details by clicking here.

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