New Opportunities for Boys and Girls to Participate

By Grace Allen

Flag football is having a moment, and not just nationally. The fast-growing sport is gaining traction across the region, drawing interest from families seeking a non-contact introduction to football, as well as from athletes who want an additional outlet for skill development. Now, with the launch of a new comprehensive program led by local residents Dante Carnevale of Norfolk and Tom Cochran of Wrentham, that momentum is coming directly to the King Philip area.

Carnevale, co-founder of the newly-formed Sonic Boom Flag Football, says the sport’s trajectory is unmistakable. 

“Flag football is a fast-emerging sport in the U.S., both on the boys and girls side,” he said. “It’s appealing for families who want the benefits of football without early exposure to tackling.”

Even for older players who already participate in tackle football, flag is becoming an important complement, Carnevale noted, with many turning to spring flag leagues as an off-season training platform. 

A Program Built for Development, Not Just Games

Sonic Boom Flag Football, for ages 7-15, will launch this winter with a January 4 player combine at Four Kicks in Taunton. Carnevale emphasizes that the program is designed for flag football players who are seeking more coaching, more competition, and more structured training than seasonal local rec leagues typically provide.

The new club will offer spring and fall travel seasons, winter clinics, and additional training options. Carnevale describes the effort as “a comprehensive flag football-centric athlete training program” built to meet families where they are. “The simpler way to say it is that it’s flexible and fairly customizable,” he added.

A key distinction, he noted, is the level of instruction. Unlike many youth sports where teams are coached exclusively by parent volunteers, Sonic Boom is “hiring professional coaches from the high school and college ranks to provide a higher level of teaching and skill development.” Strength and conditioning specialists will also support speed and agility training.

Equally important to Carnevale is developing athletes as people, not just players. “Everything that we do is very much focused on athletic integrity,” he said, emphasizing teamwork, coachability, and sportsmanship. 

One of the sport’s biggest attractions for families is its safety profile. With no tackling, flag football allows children to learn the fundamentals of the game without the physical contact associated with traditional football. Carnevale said many parents see it as a “great safe entry point into football,” especially for younger athletes who may not be ready for full-contact play. The non-tackling format also benefits older players who participate in tackle football during the fall, giving them a way to continue improving skills in the off-season without additional impact on their bodies.

While established flag football clubs operate throughout Massachusetts and New England, there has been no dedicated program serving the King Philip/Hockomock area. Carnevale and Cochran aim to change that, hoping to draw from Wrentham, Norfolk, Plainville, and a wide swath of surrounding towns where interest is already strong.

The pair’s roots in the community run deep. Cochran, long involved with KP Junior Warrior flag football camps alongside KP Football head coach Brian Lee, brings more than a decade of youth coaching experience. Carnevale, also a local youth coach, saw firsthand how well the existing clinics engaged young athletes and believed a year-round team-based program was the natural next step.

KP coach Lee will serve as a senior advisor to Sonic Boom.

A Transformative Moment for Girls’ Sports

While boys’ participation in flag football continues to expand, the most dramatic growth may be happening on the girls’ side. Carnevale says the sport “is really maybe even at a different level in terms of exploding.” With flag football becoming an Olympic sport in 2028 and NCAA athletic departments launching varsity women’s flag football programs, he believes opportunities for girls to play will rapidly follow.

“We will see that kind of filter down to high school and middle school and youth,” he said. “We feel like over the next, say, 5, 10, 15 years, girls and women’s flag football will continue to grow and really at some point be played as often as girls soccer, girls field hockey, and lacrosse.”

Carnevale’s outlook appears prescient when paired with data from USA Football: the number of boys and girls ages 6-17 playing flag football increased 38.2% from 2014-23, with 1.6 million kids playing this past year. Participation among girls 6-12 has risen even more sharply, climbing 222% during that time.

It’s a transformative moment for the non-contact, gender-inclusive sport, opening new pathways for young athletes who may not have seen themselves represented in football before.

For families unfamiliar with the sport’s possibilities for girls, Carnevale hopes awareness will grow quickly. Sonic Boom is positioning itself early as a home for female athletes. “We really want to make sure that families know that flag football can be for girls, how it’s growing, and that we are a home for them to learn the game,” he said. 

As Sonic Boom evolves, feedback from interested families has been helpful in crafting the initiative. Carnevale says one of the biggest questions from parents is “How does this fit in with the other sports my child plays?”

“We totally get that,” Carnevale said. “I coach baseball in Norfolk. My son plays. And so we’re doing our best to try to keep the schedule flexible enough for everyone, because we definitely think that kids should be able to play multiple sports.”

As flag football continues to gain momentum nationally, the local organizers see this moment as an opportunity to offer young athletes an opportunity to get involved early and grow alongside a sport that is still defining its future.

For more information or questions, visit sonicboomfootball.com.