As Hudson Valley schools gear up to add flag football to their repertoire of spring sports, one group is a decade ahead and built an empire in the turf of local high schools.

“Now with it coming into Section I and Section IX as a high school sport in the spring, you know, give these girls an advantage before they step on the field,” said Mike Tepper.

Tepper and Chris Smith, coaches and creators of Old Skewl Sports, have been building a flag football empire in Middletown. With more than 1,000 participants, they’ve rallied a roster of 100 girls, from ages 6 and under to 18 and under.

“The biggest difference between coaching boys and girls … the girls have more of an attitude,” said Chris Smith. “They want it. I feel like they’re more aggressive than the boys.”

As a spring sport at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) schools, Tepper’s female athletes have had the chance to explore scholarships and extended education due to their participation in flag football. In addition to running Old Skewl Sports, Tepper is a high school teacher in the Suffern area.

“Any way a student can get a scholarship or financial aid for going to school to help offset the costs is amazing,” said Tepper. “So now with these girls that have had this passion for this game, they realize that there’s a future in this, there is something they can look forward to versus just stopping at the end of school.”

“I’m learning a lot, like how to get more into the game,” said player Keira Ferguson.

The variations between flag and tackle football are minimal. These girls still practice drills as if they’re throwing on pads soon, and start each snap with a play from the playbook sleeve they wear on their forearms. It’s still a contact sport, but instead of tackling, the play ends with the pulling of a flag.

“Girls are better than boys; they can do it better. Like tackle? We can do that. We can take a hit. They think they’re so tough …” said Ferguson.

The partnership between NAIA and the NFL Flag Football program has prompted the sport to grow at a meteoric speed on a national level for young women. The Girls 12-under Old Skewl Sports players have already qualified for this year’s national tournament in Vegas, and have their sights set on winning.

“We gotta win in Vegas, though; we can’t be all talk. We gotta win and then we can be all talk,” said Ferguson.

While she’s focused on that trophy, Ferguson knows how much her involvement with the team and her flag football family means to her.

“I’m getting motivation,” said Ferguson.