Steve Young and Jerry Rice Team Up for Girls Flag Football Camp in Sacramento

Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice reunited on the gridiron this week—not for a 49ers reunion, but to inspire the next generation of female athletes. The duo hosted the Steve Young and Jerry Rice Girls Flag Football Camp at Jesuit High School in Carmichael, bringing together girls ages 7 to 14 for a day of drills, mentorship, and stories from two of the NFL’s most iconic connections.

A Community Partnership Rooted in Giving Back

The camp operates through a partnership between Sutter Health, Young’s Forever Young Foundation, and the two 49ers legends. Warner Thomas, President and CEO of Sutter Health, emphasized the shared mission: This is all about giving back to the community. Sutter Health is a not-for-profit. Forever Young Foundation [is] not-for-profit. Steve Young and us have really come together.

The collaboration reflects a broader trend of healthcare systems investing in youth sports as preventive health strategy. Sutter Health’s involvement brings medical expertise to the athletic experience, with physicians like Dr. Shannon Goode on site to speak with families about sports participation benefits.

Legends on the Field: Coaching the Next Generation

Young and Rice didn’t just lend their names—they actively coached. The Hall of Famers rotated through drill stations, working directly with campers on fundamentals: route running, catching technique, defensive positioning, and flag-pulling mechanics. For Young, the experience carries personal resonance. Through doing this with Jerry, it feels like I’ve had hundreds of women come to me and say, ‘I wish it was around when I was in high school, when I was a kid.’ Well, now it is and it’s taken some time, but it’s now happening.

Rice, known for his legendary work ethic, brought his competitive fire to the camp while keeping perspective. Just the opportunity to have that togetherness and compete. They’re much tougher than boys. They already got the advantage there. He joked, before adding: But you know just to be a part of it. And then we get a chance to team up again to it. So cool.

Why Girls Flag Football Matters Now

The camp arrives at a pivotal moment for girls’ sports participation. Research consistently shows a sharp decline in girls’ athletic involvement around age 14—often attributed to social pressures, lack of opportunities, and shifting priorities during adolescence.

Dr. Shannon Goode, a Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician with Sutter Health, framed the stakes clearly: We know most girls at the age of 14 leave sports, and so it’s crucial that we get them involved early to build strong bodies, good mental health and confidence. So this is just amazing.

Goode’s perspective adds clinical weight to what the athletes intuitively understand. Her background—growing up around football as the daughter of a Big Ten referee—mirrors the exposure gap the camp aims to close.

Flag Football’s Explosive Growth Trajectory

Young’s observation that flag football is the fastest growing sport in America for a good reason aligns with national data. Key developments driving the surge:

• CIF Sanctioning: California Interscholastic Federation approved girls flag football as a varsity sport starting in the 2023-24 school year, with over 10,000 participants in the inaugural season.
• NFL Investment: The league and its 32 teams have committed millions to girls flag football programs, including grants for high school teams and youth leagues.
• Olympic Inclusion: Flag football will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for both men and women, accelerating collegiate and youth pipeline development.
• Collegiate Expansion: NAIA institutions and NCAA emerging sports programs have added women’s flag football, creating scholarship pathways.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, girls flag football participation increased 105% between 2021-22 and 2023-24, making it one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the country.

Northern California Expansion Plans

Thomas signaled this camp is just the beginning: We’re doing this all over Northern California. We’re great being here in Sacramento today, but you’re going to see a lot more of the sunset to help in the future. The phrasing suggests a sustained regional tour, potentially reaching underserved communities where sports access remains limited.

The Sacramento region, with its growing youth sports infrastructure and proximity to the Bay Area’s football culture, serves as a strategic launchpad. Jesuit High School’s facilities—including its stadium and practice fields—provided a professional-grade environment that elevated the experience beyond typical recreational camps.

The 49ers Legacy Continues Off the Field

Young and Rice’s partnership extends a three-decade friendship forged in Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense. Their on-field chemistry—627 completions for 8,761 yards and 85 touchdowns—translates to a shared philanthropic vision. The Forever Young Foundation, established by Young in 1993, has historically focused on children’s health, education, and development. This camp represents an evolution toward gender equity in sports access.

For Rice, whose Jerry Rice 127 Foundation supports youth education and health initiatives, the flag football camp adds a direct athletic component to his charitable portfolio. Both players have advocated for flag football’s Olympic inclusion, seeing it as a vehicle for global growth.

What Parents and Participants Experienced

Camp structure followed a station-based model: small groups rotated through quarterback play, receiver routes, defensive back drills, and agility circuits. Young and Rice moved between stations, offering individualized feedback. Parents observed from sideline seating, with many citing the rare access to NFL legends as a primary draw.

One mother of a 10-year-old participant noted: My daughter has never had a female football coach before today. Seeing her take direction from Steve Young—it changes what she thinks is possible.

That sentiment captures the camp’s deeper impact: representation at the highest level, in a sport historically closed to girls.

Looking Ahead: From Camp to Culture Shift

The Carmichael camp illustrates a broader transformation. What began as scattered recreational leagues has coalesced into an organized movement with institutional backing—health systems, professional franchises, educational associations, and Olympic governing bodies aligned.

For the 49ers legends, the work feels personal. Young’s reflection—football is cool and girls now get a chance at it—distills a generational shift. The girls running routes at Jesuit High School this week aren’t just learning a game. They’re claiming space in a culture that excluded their mothers and grandmothers.

As flag football’s Olympic debut approaches and collegiate programs multiply, camps like this one serve as both entry point and affirmation: the field is open.

Sports, Health, Fitness, Education, Communities, People, News, Society, Positive, California, Sacramento, San Francisco 49ers, NFL, Girls Flag Football, Youth Sports, Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Sutter Health, Forever Young Foundation, Women’s Sports, Olympic Sports, CIF, High School Sports