Gridiron Queens growing flag football alongside the Bears, IHSA
Ceara Perry’s fun was always cut short.
Playing girls flag football at Larkin High School, Perry and her teammates took the field around homecoming every fall, but the “season” lasted only about two weeks. A few practices followed by one or two games, then an abrupt end that left Perry and her friends searching for another sport, trying to rekindle that same enjoyment.
“I just loved the sport so much,” Perry said. “I just really hoped that it would’ve been some type of how it is now … We had so many girls like myself that were so intrigued in the sport, and we hated that it was only that short time span.”
Years removed from graduation, Perry is now a married mother of three girls and the commissioner of the Gridiron Queens, a girls flag football club based in Elgin. The league features four middle school and four high school teams and will start its second year this fall, running alongside the IHSA season.
Perry doesn’t view the IHSA sanctioning of the sport as competition, but rather sees the Gridiron Queens as another opportunity, one that offers a separate spring season. Unlike Perry in her youth, girls won’t have to wait a full year before resuming competition.
“We want people to join, we want people to come in from all over and bring a team with them, create a team under the Gridiron Queens,” Perry said. “That’s like the NFL, right? We want teams to come and join and create their own movement under our umbrella.”
Despite her role as commissioner, Perry wasn’t the founder of the league. That title belongs to Ted and Nakia West. Perry saw advertising for Gridiron Queens and persuaded her oldest daughter to give it a shot. The two attended a camp over the winter and one of the camp’s organizers asked about parents wanting to coach and volunteer. Perry immediately raised her hand and took quick action.
“I basically started organizing everything, setting up drills without them even asking me,” Perry said. “Talking to the parents, getting involved, they felt that it was natural to me.”
It didn’t take long until the Wests offered the commissioner role, which Perry gladly accepted. The Gridiron Queens started play in the spring, with the four teams in each age group playing against each other. Over the summer, the league held free summer camps to increase participation and opportunity.
In a sport that’s rapidly growing, Perry’s league is doing its part. The Gridiron Queens post on social media accounts like Instagram and TikTok, sharing highlight videos and registration information. Perry said the league is in the process of starting a travel team for next spring to compete against squads from other states. The league is also in contact with Aurora University about a possible partnership and scholarships.
The Gridiron Queens will host a jamboree at Soldier Field on Saturday.
“I just really love what we’re doing, for the community and for the girls,” Perry said. “It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m excited for the future.”