MELANIE: THE GRIDIRON GETTING GIRLS’ TEAMS ACROSS CALIFORNIA STARTING THIS FALL. >> OH MY GOSH. MELANIE: LONG-TIME COACH LETICIA GILMORE COULDN’T BE MORE THRILLED ABOUT IT.

TO SEE THIS HAPPEN, ANOTHER ALL-GIRLS SPORT BE INSTITUTED IN CIF, IS ABSOLUTELY AWESOME AND INCREDIBLE. MELANIE: COACH GILMORE CELEBRATING NEWS THAT THE CALIFORNIA INTERSCHOLASTIC FEDERATION, THE STATEWIDE BODY THAT GOVERNS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS, VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO MAKE GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL AN OFFICIAL HIGH SCHOOL SPORT.

IT’S GOING TO TAKE OFF. I JUST SENSE IT, AND I FEEL IT, AND I’M SO EXCITED. MELANIE: AS CEO AND HEAD COACH OF SOLID GROUND SPORTS ACADEMY, A NONPROFIT GROUP OFFERING NO-COST SPORTS TRAINING FOR KIDS, INCLUDING THE ALL-GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL PROGRAM SHE ROCKS, COACH GILMORE SEES FIRST-HAND THE BENEFIT OF ATHLETICS.

IN ALL FACETS OF GIRLS’ LIVES. >> DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND LEARNING HOW TO WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM, PARENTS HAVE SEEN THEIR DAUGHTERS MORE CONFIDENT AND DOING WELL IN SCHOOL. MELANIE: KICKING OFF IN THE FALL, SCHOOLS STATEWIDE WILL SPEND THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS FIGURING OUT SCHEDULING AND LOGISTICS FOR THE 7 ON 7 GAMES.

THIS IS NOT YOUR MOTHER’S POWDER PUFF FOOTBALL. MELANIE: SUPPORTERS LIKE COACH GILMORE, PRAISING THE FEMALE ATHLETES AS THEY TAKE THE SPORT TO A NEW LEVEL. 

THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. MELANIE: BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS. 

THEY’RE NOT COMING TO BE CUTE. THEY’RE NOT COMING WITH THEIR HAIR AND THEIR NAILS DONE. MELANIE: AND TAKING OFF RUNNING PROVING THEIR STRENGTH IN THIS SPORT.

MAYOR CAME WITH CLEATS AND GLOVES, READY TO GET DOWN AND DIRTY TO PLAY SOME FOOTBALL. MELANIE: IN SACRAMENTO, MELANIE WINGO, KCRA 3 NEWS. LETICIA: CALIFORNIA IS NOW AMONG A HANDFUL OF OTHER STATES THAT HAVE FLAG FOOTBALL AS PART OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS PROGRAMS. AND CIF’S SANCTIONING OF THE SPORT WILL ALLOW DISTRICTS TO HAVE FLAG FOOTBALL