Women’s Flag Football takes the field at the Mount
Photos by Lee Ferris
In just over a year, Women’s Flag Football at Mount Saint Mary College has become a groundbreaking fixture in the Knights’ club sports lineup.
The 2026 roster featured athletes who are excelling both on the field and in the classroom, like Ammarah Royster of Newburgh, N.Y. Royster isn’t just a threat on the field: as a Digital Media Production major, she represents the multitasking spirit of the Mount student-athlete. She is joined by veteran leadership from Cayla Nicholas and Mikaia Coley, both from Hopewell Junction, N.Y., and both of whom help anchor the Knights’ defense.
The Mount first announced the addition of Women’s Flag Football as a club sport for the Spring 2025 season. It was a move that tapped into one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and the response from the student body was immediate.
By the end of March 2025, the dream became a reality. That month, the Knights hosted their inaugural “Play Day” at Kaplan Field, welcoming St. Joseph’s Brooklyn and St. Joseph’s Long Island for the program’s first-ever competitive snaps.
For student leaders like Sabrina Scire of Staten Island, N.Y., who graduated in May, the sport’s arrival provided a much-welcomed outlet.
Scire was one of the driving forces in establishing flag football at the Mount.
“I think it was about sophomore year when we had a lot of people turn out for flag, for powder puff, and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be so cool if we had a team?’” Scire recalled.
As the program looked toward its second year, the college hired Rich Curran as the next head coach in August 2025. Curran brought a championship pedigree to the program, having previously led Our Lady of Lourdes to a sectional title appearance and served on a decorated coaching staff at SUNY Cortland.
Curran’s arrival was a massive milestone for the program, bringing structured, experienced leadership just as the sport reached its highest level of collegiate recognition.
“Now that we had a coach that genuinely knew football, knew flag, I said, ‘Okay, now this can happen,’” Scire explained. “This was kind of a learning process for everybody. It was so exciting. I’m so like grateful for the athletic department as a whole that they saw my vision.”
At the collegiate level, Women’s Flag Football continues to expand, with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics leading the charge through initiatives like the NFL FLAG Women’s College Program. These programs create pathways for high school athletes to transition to competitive play in college, with scholarship opportunities further encouraging participation.
