HOLMEN — With his daughter entering third grade, Holmen High School football coach Travis Kowalski thought the time was right to explore something that’s been growing not just around the country, but specifically in Wisconsin.
Interest in flag football is on the rise, and Kowalski felt compelled to increase its awareness among girls. That’s why he’s championing third- and fourth-grade girls flag football in Holmen this fall.
The process is at its infancy — Kowalski first reached out to the Holmen community in May — but there has been enough interest to fill two teams so far. The hope is that expands a bit the rest of the summer.
The idea came from a conversation with his wife, Kylee, and gained momentum in their house the more they learned.
“We want to try and get 20 girls and make a couple of teams,” he said. “We’ll try to grow from there.”
Girls flag football has been supported by the Green Bay Packers, who have donated to startup high school programs on the other side of the state and down toward Milwaukee.
The Green Bay area has a six-team league that is playing an abbreviated schedule, and Kowalski is using that as a vision for what he gets started in Holmen.
The initial push has been helped by the Green Bay Packers, who have a program called the Girls Flag Grant Program. It has awarded a combined $100,000 to 20 selected high schools in Wisconsin to get going with intramural and club teams. USA Football also awarded those 20 schools a flag starter kit.
The schools that have benefitted from the donations are: Amherst, Appleton East, Appleton North, Appleton West, Appleton Xavier, Cristo Rey Jesuit, Franklin, Greenfield, Kettle Moraine, Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels, Milwaukee Reagan, Milwaukee School of Languages, Milwaukee Washington, Mukwonago, Muskego, Oneida Nation, Port Washington, Waukesha Catholic Memorial, Waukesha West and Weyauwega-Fremont.
Kowalski is just trying to get things started in the Coulee Region, but an idea can grow quickly. He cites girls wrestling as an example. Holmen has been a hotspot for the sport during a time it has grown nationally.
The timing is also good with NFL players recently being given the opportunity to play flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games.
Youth flag football takes place Tuesday and Thursday evenings, starting on Aug. 19. Those sessions begin at 5:30 p.m. and last 90 minutes.
Anyone with interested players can find registration information at holmenfootball.com.
