US flag football star Ashlea Klam and Houston Texans push for recognition of sport for Texas girls

U.S. Women's Flag National Team member and NFL Global Flag Ambassador Ashlea Klam knows firsthand what it feels like when girls flag football isn't taken seriously — her high school wouldn't even let her participate in signing day after earning a collegiate scholarship.

That experience fuels her work with the Houston Texans Foundation and the She's Next movement, where she and Foundation VP Hannah McNair are pushing to get girls flag football sanctioned as a varsity sport in Texas. The sport is already sanctioned in 15 states, and with more than 2,000 high school athletes playing across Houston, Austin, and El Paso through our program, the momentum here is undeniable. During USA Football's Summer Series, the Texans showed up for the U.S. women's and girls teams with curated gift boxes featuring headgear, gloves, arm sleeves, and more — all branded with She's Next. With flag football heading to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the push to make Texas next has never been stronger.