USA FOOTBALL INTRODUCES GIRLS’ FOOTBALL ADVISORY COUNCIL

Girls’ Football Advisory Council established to provide guidance as opportunities expand.

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football today announced the members of its Girls’ Football Advisory Council, who will provide leadership and guidance to the organization in its efforts to advance girls’ involvement in the football pathway. Towards these ends, the council shall seek to expand and promote fair and equitable access to opportunities and resources for girls and women in football. 

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, advocates for and provides girls and women athletes, coaches and football leaders opportunities to realize their full potential in pursuit of athletic excellence. 

The Girls’ Football Advisory Council consists of one dozen leaders in the girls’ and women's football space who will help guide USA Football’s work and initiatives to increase the momentum around girls in football. The exceptional group includes USA Football board of directors members ELIZABETH OKEY and RACHEL WORSHAM and 2022 U.S. Women’s Tackle National Team head coach CALLIE BROWNSON of the Cleveland Browns, who is also an alumna of the 2013 and 2017 gold-medal-winning U.S. Women’s Tackle National Teams.  

“This is an era of unprecedented growth for girls and women in football as more communities, schools and universities expand offerings across flag and tackle in roles for athletes and coaches,” said USA Football CEO & Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. “The 12 members of our Girls’ Football Advisory Council are exceptional leaders and mentors in their fields. Their leadership and experience will benefit the girls and women we serve nationwide.” 

Five states currently fully sanction girls’ high school flag football as a varsity sport, and several others are rapidly advancing toward that point. In spring of 2021, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which consists of 250 member institutions and oversees 77,000 student athletes, hosted a championship in women’s flag football for the first time.  

Girls’ Football Advisory Council 

• Desiree Abrams, National Football League 

• Austin Bradshaw, New England Flag Football 

• Rebecca Brisson, Tualatin Valley Youth Football League 

• Callie Brownson, Cleveland Browns 

• Elise DeLuca, Carolina Panthers 

• Elliott Giles, Northeast Ohio Youth Sports 

• Angellica Grayson, Los Angeles Chargers 

• Elizabeth Okey, Wintrust Financial Corporation & USA Football Board Member 

• Michael Patterson, Brophy and Xavier College Preparatories 

• Dr. Johna Register-Mihalik, University of North Carolina 

• Audrey Shaw, TrueSport 

• Rachel Worsham, George C. Marshall High School & USA Football Board Member 

About USA Football: USA Football designs and delivers premier educational, developmental and competitive programs to advance, unify and grow the sport. As the sport’s national governing body, member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and organizer of the U.S. National Team for international competition, USA Football partners with leaders in medicine, child advocacy and athletics to support positive football experiences for youth, high school, and other amateur players.