Fresh off their fifth straight NAIA Women's Flag Football championship, Ottawa University's women's flag football head coach Liz Sowers and her sister Katie, assistant coach and defensive coordinator, prepare for their upcoming season with the team. Amid the pressure following their success from the last five seasons, the Sowers hope to see that translate on the field this spring.

"With all the pressure, every year gets harder," Liz said. "We know one day it will not be us that wins it and I think that'll be a really good day because then you know the teams we've seen every year are getting better and better. But we're not ready to lose yet."

Liz said she has seen the level of play rise during her tenure as head coach, "This is the top level of flag football. You're going to see Division I schools slowly start adding teams and this sport is just going to explode but, I think that the competition is continuously getting bigger and bigger and with that comes a growth which is something we'd be very proud of."

With the addition of flag football at the high school and collegiate levels as well as the addition of the sport at the 2028 Olympic Games, there is an ongoing growth that the sport has seen. According to an article from AP News, about 500,000 girls ages 6 to 17 play the sport in some organized form and more than 100 colleges and universities either in the NCAA, NAIA or the junior college level are now offering women's flag football as a varsity or club sport.

Katie Sowers, former San Francisco 49ers assistant coach, is proud of the growth that the sport is seeing in recent years, "I think football has always been kind of a sport that's reserved for men. I can't tell you how many times young girls would come up to one of us and say, 'I have always wanted to play football but never got the chance'," Katie said.

Katie continued discussing the importance of equality surrounding flag football, "On a larger scale, equality and this ability to see women as leaders, as athletes, as aggressive, as strong and as courageous is evening the playing field in more ways than just on the football field." Liz added, "There needs to be investment behind it. I think it's gaining so much visibility and with this momentum people are investing in the sport as well because there needs to be more than just permission to play. We need investment and continued visibility."

Liz discussed the recruiting process in finding the best athletes to join their program, "When I started, it was during COVID, so, I was not able to meet any of these athletes. At the time, there was not Kansas or Missouri flag football, so it was all through social media," Liz continued, "I found a player on my For You page on TikTok, who was a junior college softball player from Kansas, who had never played flag football."  

The trust that these athletes put into the program is a unique feature of Ottawa University flag football program. "Their trust in coming to Ottawa, Kansas is something that's been unique. There's a wide variety of athletes from all over the world: Panama, Canada and Spain. I could watch a basketball highlight video and, and recruit someone. Find me the best high school basketball team, and that's the best flag football team you have. I can promise you that."

Echoing the investment sentiment, former Ottawa University Director of Athletics Janet Eaton-Smith praises the Sowers sisters for their strong, ongoing leadership, "They are pioneers in the sport of flag football. Five consecutive championships speak louder than anything I could say. They are true students of the game; leaders who stand for equality in sports; and mentors dedicated to helping student-athletes become the best versions of themselves. They encourage innovation, celebrate others' successes, and are widely respected across the flag football community. Plus, they're witty, relatable, and deeply loved by their athletes, peers, and our athletic department."

The Sowers believe in investing in athletes who will make a difference on the field and more importantly, off it. "One thing we always say is that we want people that are going to return the shopping cart in the parking lot. You're not going to get reprimanded, if you don't return it, you're not going to get an award if you do, return it. No one is watching, but at the end of the day, someone has to do it," Liz said.

Katie echoed the same sentiment, saying, "Women deserve everything just as much as men do. We're not asking for anything more, we're just asking for the same. When they hear something that might not be fair, they can see it and point it out, they can do what they need to do, to try to make sure that this world is on a little bit better path. Along with emotional intelligence, I hope they bring with them, the idea that women can lead and that we can be empathetic, that we can love people, that we can be kind of people that are different than us, and that's okay. I would be the proudest of all of my players if that's where they grew the most."