GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Two of Georgia’s fastest growing avenues for high school competition will be offered at Gainesville High School beginning in the Fall of 2025: esports and girls flag football.
The school made the announcement on Monday in press release.
Introduced as certified sports by the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) in 2018 and 2020 respectively, esports and girls flag football first found footing in Atlanta and the metro areas before rapidly dispersing to nearly 300 schools in 70 counties for flag football, and 210 schools with 3,000 participants for esports.
“We live in a world where athletic opportunities are constantly evolving, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our students have access to programs that not only foster physical fitness, but also cultivate crucial life skills,” Gainesville Athletic Director Adam Lindsey said.
Gainesville will be the third school in the immediate area to offer girls flag football. Johnson and West Hall played their inaugural seasons in 2024. But Gainesville is the first to offer esports, which the GHSA officiates in partnership with PlayVS, a scholastic esports platform.
“First off, we believe in empowering our young women here at Gainesville, and flag football is a powerful way of doing that,” Lindsey said. “Where esports is concerned, it’s two-fold in the interest of our students: one, providing them the opportunity to develop skills relevant to their future success, and two, providing a sense of community for those who may not traditionally participate in athletics.
“Whether you see it in our facilities, our coaches, our unmatched effort in promoting our programs and students in the media and on social media, or us bringing in new sports; we want the eyes to notice our school system and GHS especially leading the way in providing the best for our young people.”
Both esports and girls flag football have Fall seasons, with esports also competing in the Spring. Esports’ teams compete within their school’s classification, and against other classifications, while girls flag football has four divisions with eight subdivisions; the makeup of each based on location and size of school.
Gainesville High School has not named coaches for either sport as of Monday afternoon.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/3/1288908/ghs-to-add-esports-flag-football-in-fall