6-17-2025 5:30am

NMAA Considers Girls Flag Football and Boy Volleyball Stalled

Chris Edwards Editor

NMAA Athletes celebrate a victory in competition that is healthy

The New Mexico Athletics and Activities Association has to balance the interests between of kids, with health, staffing stability, the level of interest and potential involvement and the reality of budgets and facilities into considerations for sanctioning high school sports. Recently two issues came up for expansion or consideration which died in the process.

Recently wrangling happened within the NMAA ranks when a group of about 20 schools, mostly from Albuquerque Public Schools, requested boys’ volleyball be added to the activity category under the NMAA umbrella.

The process for approval must go through three steps, starting with a minimum of 10 percent of the NMAA membership showing interest.

The boys’ volleyball proposal passed the first step, a 9-6 vote in favor by what’s called the commission. However, the proposal died during the second phase when no one on the NMAA board of directors made a second to the motion.

Ultimately, a vote encompassing the entire membership, the third hurdle, would decide the fate of a potential sport or activity butbit won't get that far this year.

Nationally, girls’ flag football is gaining traction, an effort spearheaded by the National Football League to cultivate interest in football among women and girls.

There are several state associations across the country that are now sanctioning girls flag football as a sport, and others are considering it.

One of the positives of girls’ flag football is that the NFL would financially help get programs started. However, that financial commitment and guidance from the NFL may not be long term

Where administrators are concerned is what happens when that pool (of money) from the NFL runs out? Then they’d have to figure out how to sustain it with taxpayer funds and school budgets.

Thus far no votes have pushed that sports forward but as more surrounding states add it to the roster New Mexico will be forced to consider. Stay tuned...