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For the past few decades, flag football has been a popular high school sport in states such as Georgia and Florida, but it has never caught on in Texas...until now. After discovering that scholarships were available to play flag football in college, the staff at Legacy began a mission to bring girls flag football to Houston. After a year of researching, networking and partnering with Texas Fury, NFL Flag, Houston Texans and Nike; the first girls high school flag football event took place on April 9th 2022. Ten Houston-area high schools and middle schools participated in the event, with over 90 female athletes playing flag football for the first time.
Allaya Livingston - a senior at Legacy - took the opportunity and participated in the event. Little did she realize that her athletic abilities would catch the eye of Liz and Katie Sowers, the coaches for Ottawa University. Allaya grew up playing basketball, but she is no stranger to trying new sports. During her senior year at Legacy Allaya, not only scored her 1,000th career points in basketball but she became a NCA All-American Nominee cheerleader, State Champion Softball player, Top 12 sprinter for Texas private schools and flag football player.
Exactly one month after the Houston Texans Flag Football Jamboree, Allaya took a visit to the two-time NAIA National Champions campus, Ottawa University, where Coach Sowers offered Allaya a scholarship to play flag football. Allaya Livingston has been offered the first women’s flag football scholarship to a high school athlete from Houston.
Allaya may be the first to be offered a scholarship to play flag football, but she will not be the first from Houston to play college flag football. Another Legacy alumni has already made her presence known in the sport. Vanessa Towne grew up playing softball and was a member of the sports medicine program at Legacy. Vanessa received a scholarship to attend Kansas Wesleyan University to play softball, but she is now part of their flag football program. Kansas Wesleyan competed in the Silver bracket division of the 2022 NAIA Women’s Flag Football National Championship, where they defeated St. Mary’s. Vanessa Towne is now a NAIA Women’s Flag Football Champion.
College Coaches are just beginning to uncover the raw athletic talent in the city, and these two young ladies are already making a name for themselves in the game. The ten teams who participated in the Houston Texans Jamboree will also get a chance to make a name for themselves next Spring in the first Houston Girls High School Flag Football League. The Houston Texans, Nike and Legacy the School of Sport Sciences will partner up again to create and facilitate the league in the Spring of 2023. Schools lined up to participate include Legacy SSS, Cy-Creek, Awty International, Concordia Lutheran, Houston Gateway Academy, Lifestyle Christian School, ILT Westpark, KIPP Mosaic, Nehemiah, and YellowStone College Prep.
This is just the beginning of something big in Houston and the future of girls flag football. Keep an eye out for upcoming leagues, showcases, combines and other opportunities for girls to play flag football in Houston.
George Ranch sophomore Melanie Maier.
VYPE Media
Maier is the first George Ranch golfer, boy or girl, to make it to the state tournament in Class 6A. She finished third at the Region III-6A meet last month to advance to state, teeing off Monday at Legacy Hills Golf Club in Georgetown.
“I love making my school proud of me and I’m glad I get to represent George Ranch,” Maier said. “I just want to go out there, play my own golf and see where I stand. State is like any other tournament. I’ve played with a lot of these girls outside of school, so a lot of it is familiar to me.”
As a freshman, Maier finished in the top 20 at regionals, shooting the same two-round score she did this year (154). It took a second-day flourish last year to make top 20. She shot five-over-par 77 on both days this year to medal.
“Last year, I don’t think I really thought I could make it,” Maier said. “This year, I felt I could go out there and qualify for state. Last year, I was so worried about making state as a freshman and trying to wow everyone. This year, I was able to worry about myself and not worry about expectations.”
Maier is continuing a family legacy on the links.
Her older brother Matthew, class of 2018, went to state as a freshman when the Longhorns made it as a team in 2015. Her younger brother, Mitchell, is a freshman who tied for 20th at regionals with a two-day score of 162.
“I believe golf, at a minimum, is 51 percent mental,” Del Rosario said. “As far as physically, knowing her dad and Matthew and Mitchell, they can all play. But Melanie is strong mentally. She’s quiet, never gets too emotional. There’s an internal confidence, but she is cool, calm and collected.”
George Ranch sophomore Melanie Maier.VYPE Media
Maier loves the challenge golf awards her.
“There’s always something better to do; there’s always something to fix,” she said. “It’s constantly changing.”
Maier is adept at focusing on her own game, rather than concerning herself with competitors and their play. She hits a lot of fairways. Her short game is good. She is confident out of the bunker.
Maier has learned from both brothers. From Matthew, she studied what she should and shouldn’t do. Matthew was a long hitter who didn’t hit fairways. He taught her to hit the ball straight rather than far.
In Mitchell, Maier admires his confidence.
“Golf kind of just runs in the family,” Maier said. “When it comes down to it, we all love playing together and spending that time together on the golf course.”
Right now, Maier has the upper hand. Yes, Matthew made it to state, but it is more difficult, Del Rosario said, to qualify for state as an individual than as a member of a team. Mitchell figures to eventually make it to state sooner than later. He’s well on his way.
But for now, it’s Melanie’s time to shine.
“Get out of her way,” Del Rosario said, laughing, when asked what his message will be for his star player leading up to state. “I really mean that. Obviously, I’m there if she needs me. But what she needs sometimes is for me to get out of the way, and then if she needs me she’ll let me know. Once we step onto the course, I know she’ll do her thing.”
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