Story by: Angel Martinez, Sports Editor
Photo Courtesy Cypress College Flag Football
This spring, the first Women’s Flag Football team will represent Cypress College, marking the return of football to campus and replacing a struggling sport.
Cypress will welcome football back to campus in the Spring of 2026. Women’s Flag Football has been in the works for over a year. Flag football is becoming a popular sport, Athletic Director of Cypress College, Wes McCurtis, says “participation is exploding”. The sport has been recognized at the high school level throughout the state of California. McCurtis says the creation of a flag football team is an opportunity to grow the sport and women’s sports on campus and around the area.
The arrival of Flag football came with the sacrifice of a struggling Women’s tennis team.
Women’s Tennis has been removed and will no longer be a part of Cypress College sports. The last game played was a 9-0 defeat at Orange Coast in April of 2024. McCurtis claims that in recent years the tennis team struggled to make up a roster with “only 2 players last year” which led to constant postponed and canceled games. It was very challenging to form a schedule and recruit which ultimately led to the decision of replacing the sport.
Tennis will be replaced by a sport not yet recognized at the college level.
When asked about the challenges of creating a team from scratch McCurtis said “This project felt more like it was starting a ‘sport from scratch’.” Because flag football is not yet recognized as a sport by the 3C2A at the state level, the team will be competing against 4 year universities as a “club sport”-, a first time format for a sport at Cypress.
Cypress will be 1 of only 3 community colleges in California that will offer flag football. Funding for this program will provide an opportunity for all women who would like to continue playing the sport, will offer skill clinics, and youth camps on campus throughout the year.
Most athletes joining the team are multi-sport competitors, which presents challenges for recruiting.
The Athletics Department is still finalizing its roster, which currently has 23 athletes. Coaches looked at players from local high schools and organizations to get them to represent Cypress. McCurtis says recruitment has also been done through on-campus clinics and camps. Many of the athletes are dual-sport participants who already play another sport for Cypress. McCurtis appointed Sean Clark as head coach after conducting a national search for a coach. Clark has been vital to recruiting players and praised for his work reaching out to players and helping form the program.
The football team will open doors to many new students looking for an opportunity in the sport
With the creation of a new team, athletes will be able to continue to play at a high level and earn scholarships to universities across the nation. “The mission is to always compete at a high level and win, with goals to be recognized at the state level by next year” says McCurtis.
To follow up and find new information on the Flag Football team, visit the Cypress Charger Athletics website.
