Apache Junction High School is to field a girls flag football team in the next full school year.
The Apache Junction Unified School District governing board on Jan. 28 voted unanimously to approve a job description for a girls flag football coach.
“I think this is a great idea. I know other districts have football and a lot of girls love it, so I love this idea,” Board Member Sandra Leen said prior to the vote.
“Yeah, I’m excited for it,” Board President Dena Kimble said.
Qualifications for the coach job include having:
A familiarity with Arizona Interscholastic Association and Apache Junction Unified School District rules and regulations;
A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university or one to two years of relevant coaching experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience; and
A preference for candidates holding an Arizona teaching certificate or coaching experience with certified personnel.
The job description needs to be in place prior to seeking candidates for the coaching job, Superintendent Robert Pappalardo said at the AJUSD Governing Board’s Jan. 28 meeting.
“In order for us to hire a girls flag football coach, we have to have a job description for that job. It’s our intent next year to offer that girls flag football to our students at the high school so that’s why it’s important that you look over the job description, see if that fits with what we would like so that (they) can go out and hire a coach for the ‘25-’26 season,” he said.
Board Member Gail Ross asked if students are asking for the sport and if other schools offer girls flag football.
“(T)his flag football — did students come to you and say ‘Gee, this is something we’d like’ or is it something that other schools have that gets a lot of activity? Where did it come from?” she said.
“It’s a big deal in other schools right now that have it. Girls want to be able to play competitively in the sport,” Pappalardo said. “There are girls who would really like to play,” he said.
“As long as we’re going to get people joining, then fantastic,” Ross said.
Per AIA rules, if a girl wants to play football she can still do that, Vice President Cami Garcia said.
“That’s correct. We’re not saying that you can’t. We’re allowing you if you would like to play flag to play flag,” Pappalardo said.
AJUSD has three elementary schools, a junior high school and a high school. In 2025 it is slated to open The Classical Academy at Superstition Mountain, a K-5 school designed to provide students with a traditional, liberal arts education. The district boundaries run from Meridian Road on the west to the town of Queen Valley on the east and from the Goldfield Mountains to the north, south into the San Tan Corridor. Communities served include Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, Peralta Trail, Queen Valley and unincorporated Pinal County land in-between.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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