By ALEX SPONSELLER
The Diamonds on the Gridiron girls flag football program concluded a successful season that included its first summer league with four girls teams from across Rhode Island.
The program was started last spring by Randy Phillips with the intention of one day making flag football a school sport for girls and thus opening up scholarship opportunities for female athletes in the state.
After hosting a camp in the spring and a tournament in the early summer, Diamonds on the Gridiron then launched its summer league to further the development of athletes.
“We built something from nothing. We wanted this to be a learning experience for everyone because girls flag football is coming to Rhode Island, it’s right around the corner,” said Phillips, who estimates flag football will be a collegiate sport by 2026. “We wanted to bring these girls together and get them playing the game now. In order to have a good, competitive product, the girls have to have some awareness and understanding of the game.”
Female coaches were also introduced to the summer league after they had been shown the basics before the season.
“It’s very different because these women can now build a relationship with the young girls. It’s great because they can be a support to them,” Phillips said.
The league consisted of four teams of seven players each. The blue team won the championship and was coached by Aneliz Lazzareschi.
“It gives the girls strength to see themselves as sisters, to help each other and at the same time to be competitive through football,” said Lazzareschi.
The program will host a year-end banquet and plans to hold a few off-season camps to keep the ball rolling.
Phillips is excited about the progress the players have made so far.
“It was a phenomenal feeling because that’s what we do it for. Overall, it’s crazy to see the development of these girls from week one to now. They’ve learned a lot. I made sure the coaches understood that it’s not about winning, it’s about learning. What are we learning?” Phillips said.
Phillips also hopes to eventually create a simulated league that will hopefully provide a framework for what a college league might look like.
“When this simulated league comes, it will give athletic directors a blueprint. Girls are not the focus like they should be, and we want to give them more prominence,” Phillips said.
The program has also allowed the players to meet new faces and make friends both on and off the field. Many of the players spent time together this summer, and the league also took a trip to Gillette Stadium to watch the New England Patriots practice and play a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“It was nice to see them out there smiling, getting autographs and meeting professional athletes. It was great to see them living out dreams that they wouldn’t have been able to achieve without Diamonds on the Gridiron,” Phillips said.
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