An illustration depicts a female student-athlete (left) playing flag football as girls flag football coach Cherrelle Pass (right) cheers her on. Pass proposed the addition of girls flag football to CCHS Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward. “I just took a shot, reached out to Coach Ward and asked, ‘Is this something that we could possibly do?’ And he was like, ‘Who will coach it?’ and I said, ‘I will.’ So from that point forward, we took the necessary steps to get started,” Pass said. Illustration by Antonio Starks
Central takes the flag
The CCHS athletic department will be introducing Georgia High School Association girls flag football in the 2022-23 academic year.
The Georgia High School Association codified girls flag football as an official sport in 2020, making Georgia the fifth state to sanction the sport. According to Georgia Public Broadcasting, flag football has rapidly gained popularity with 91 schools adding flag football programs in 2020.
During the 2022-23 school year, Clarke Central High School will be introducing girls flag football as a GHSA sport coached by CCHS girls varsity assistant basketball coach and physical education department teacher Cherrelle Pass and CCHS boys varsity soccer goalkeeper coach Anne Schechter.
“(Coach Pass) came to me and discussed (that) she would like to coach it and that’s always one of the biggest steps in starting a new program,” CCHS Athletic Director Dr. Jon Ward said. “Once we had a coach in place, we were excited about making the decision to have a team going into the (2022-23) school year.”
The flag football season will start in late September and end in early December, occurring between the fall and winter seasons. After determining the coaches and schedule, funding became the next area of focus.
“We probably have the least amount of field space of any school that I know of, but we shouldn’t let limited space keep us from having a sport, so people have to give and take and figure out the best way to make things happen.”
— Dr. Jon Ward,
CCHS Athletic Director
“As far as the equipment and supplies that are needed, the athletic program, (Clarke Central Athletics), will fund that just as we fund all of our other sports,”
Ward said.
In addition to the athletic department’s funding, the start-up received $10,000 from the Rise Up! 159 program. Supported by the Atlanta Falcons and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the grant aims to help establish flag football teams across the 159 Georgia school districts.
“We received $7,000 for basically any use that will help benefit our program for flag football and $3,000 for (custom Nike gear),” Pass said. “It’s ground zero, starting from the bottom (and) I just thought, having head coaching experience, ‘What does it take to start a program?’”
Varsity girls soccer player Bella Yelton, a sophomore, has expressed interest in the developing program, but has concerns about how other teams will respond to the flag football team’s field occupancy.
“If we’re taking up space on a field during (another sport’s) practice time, that could cause some irritation to (other teams),” Yelton said.
According to Ward, concerns regarding limited field space and practice times will be addressed in the ongoing development process.
“(The athletic department will) just have to be smart with planning,” Ward said. “We’ve got limited fields here. We probably have the least amount of field space of any school that I know of, but we shouldn’t let limited space keep us from having a sport, so people have to give and take and figure out the best way to make things happen.”
Pass looks forward to the program’s first season and the opportunity to build a brand for the female student body at CCHS.
“I definitely want girls to have a standard of, ‘We watch what we do (and) we watch how we move because we are a reflection of Coach Pass and the Lady Gladiator flag football team,’” Pass said. “Would I like to go out and possibly compete for a state championship the first year? Why not try to hit a home run, but realistically, I would like us to go out here and compete and show some sportsmanship.”
Two female student athletes practice weightlifting in the CCHS weight room during the 2021-22 academic year. According to varsity softball player Peyton Aubrey, a sophomore, lifting has become essential for her and allowed for improvement in her sport. “I want to be stronger for physical reasons. This is good for my sport and good for my physical health, and then also mental health goes into that. It’s a good way to get your mind off anything,” Aubrey said. “I feel a lot better about myself when I’m weightlifting. It makes (me) feel stronger and like I’m doing better in a lot of aspects.” Photo by Aza Khan
Lifting women up
Women’s powerlifting will be reintroduced to CCHS as a club for the 2022-23 academic year to enable female student-athletes and support their athletic skills in a competitive setting.
The women’s powerlifting club will officially be reintroduced to Clarke Central High School during the 2022-23 academic year in order to empower and strengthen female student-athletes.
At the beginning of quarantine in 2020, the CCHS men’s and women’s powerlifting teams were disbanded because of difficulties adhering to COVID-19 protocols in the weight room. Powerlifting is currently an informal activity taking place before school hours. CCHS varsity softball head coach William Lance has used the 2021-22 academic year to officially resurrect the female program as club sponsor.
A graphic displays the four Georgia regions of USA powerlifting that contain specific counties for the 2022-23 school year. USA powerlifting was created in 1981, and according to Josh Rohr, USA Powerlifting Executive Committee Member and owner of Team Rohr Powerlifting, it has provided a place for people to come together. “You’ll see people that are eight years old, you’ll see people that are all tattooed up, you’ll see people that have super long hair, look like they’re in a rock band,” Rohr said. “You’ll see people that are lawyers and the daytime and powerlifting and everybody is sitting together talking and having a conversation. So it’s super cool.” Image fair use of USApl Georgia
“The goal was never to make (an official) powerlifting team. It was,‘You want to lift weights, let’s (lift) weights,’” Lance said. “Some of the girls talked about doing a competition and stuff like that. I was looking into it, but then it was past the deadlines, so I asked the girls, ‘If you want to do this next year, we can make it official.’”
The club will aim to help athletes improve physically and mentally while also helping them stay fit both on and off-season for their sports. Former CCHS varsity track and field team member and varsity volleyball player Lily Meyers, a Class of 2022 graduate, has experienced these benefits firsthand.
“My experience with powerlifting has been so uplifting and empowering. Working out with such a supportive group of girls is a lot of fun and encouraging.”
— Lily Meyers,
CCHS Class of 2022 graduate
“My experience with powerlifting has been so uplifting and empowering. Working out with such a supportive group of girls is a lot of fun and encouraging. I have gained confidence and strength from lifting weights and it has improved my mood and state of mind,” Meyers said. “Even though it seems hard to wake up so early every day, once you get into a rhythm it feels easy and makes for a great start to your day.”
CCHS currently offers weightlifting as a class students can take. For the club, Lance has chosen to take an informal approach to coaching by letting students decide which direction to take, thus making the club not strictly competitive.
“It (would) be awesome if we went to a competition and every one of our girls won in each weight class if it comes to that, but that’s not what it is (about),” Lance said. “For me what it is, is basically getting girls to get in there, lift, and gain the confidence (to) and see that they can do anything they put their mind to.”
According to CCHS Assistant Principal Latinda Dean, the reintroduction of this club will help women’s sports become more prominent.
“I think this could cause people to be more open-minded about what the face of (powerlifting) should look like going forward,” Dean said. “It gives students something else that they can be involved in because maybe they haven’t thought about it until now or maybe it will open the door for other sports to come into play here.”
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Former News Staffer Emily Couch, a Class of 2022 graduate, lifts weights during a powerlifting session in the Clarke Central High School Weight Room on April 12. Couch feels that powerlifting has helped her grow and learn as a female student and an athlete.”Although I am lifting weights to grow stronger and achieve better endurance, I am also gaining the strength to break down society’s standards of how women and their bodies should look,” Couch wrote. Photo by Chloe Sears
The power of lifting
Former News Staffer Emily Couch describes her experience participating in a CCHS women’s powerlifting session.
The silence was loud, unbothered. Serene. The intimidation and stagnance of the motionless air and untouched weight racks highlighted what was about to commence. Each of the four women in the weight room were ready to work towards a goal and allow aspiration to thrive.
Exercise and lifting are a must for me and have been for a long time. I have the ability to check out of reality and focus on myself, being unbothered. It’s an outlet that I prioritize and cherish.
The large, green turf patch invited each of us to warm up for the workout ahead. Lining up, the silence between everyone was loud and the lack of conversation helped put me in the proper mindset.
With high hopes and anticipation that loomed, I was ready to work hard and prove myself.
Once the warm-up was checked off the list, each athlete took their place at one of the weight stations, gathering the needed equipment for the arms and legs exercises that CCHS head varsity softball coach William Lance had in store.
News Staffer Emily Couch does bicep curls during a morning powerlifting session in the Clarke Central High School weight room on April 12. While going through the different movements during the session, Couch experienced the importance of exercise and how to properly lift weights. “I really started getting into weightlifting and powerlifting a couple of years ago and have really been enjoying learning more about it. I feel like it’s a great way for people to work on themselves and have the ability to control how they live their lives,” Couch said. Photo by Chloe Sears
I could tell that everyone in the room was pushing themselves as the weight increased with each repetition.
As a woman, the high standards that society has placed upon the female body are exhausting. I’m not allowed to let my body breathe, grow or adapt to the environment around me. Instead, I must keep up, never change sizes and never break a routine.
Coach Lance continuously walked around, emphasizing the importance of keeping our legs properly bent and correctly located on the mat. I didn’t mind the constant comments because it reminded me that there is more to powerlifting than just increasing the weight on the bar.
Although I am lifting weights to grow stronger and achieve better endurance, I am also gaining the strength to break down society’s standards of how women and their bodies should look.
I will use this time to grow. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Just listen and learn.
Glancing around the weight room, I was intrigued by the focus on every face. There was a personal work ethic and mental game in every mind, contributing to particular expectations set before the session started.
Once everyone, including myself, finished with the deadlift set, we made our way to the turf patch to prepare for the second exercise. With heavy legs and shaky breath, I picked up the weighted arm curl bar and got into the starting position with my arms bent. Arms at the ready, I felt excited about this next exercise, regardless of the exhaustion that was already building up in my shoulders and limbs.
Each individual lined up and mirrored each other’s movements and I pushed my own arms to curl the weight that I chose for the bar. The challenge grew more difficult, but fueled my motivation to keep going, a similar feeling I observed from the others based on their intense postures.
One more rep. One more set.
Nearing the end of the session, the anticipation for rest was increasing as everyone tirelessly finished the last set. After taking a moment to breathe, I walked off the exhaustion that was building in my arms and legs, a feeling I have always loved because it shows the progress I’m making.
Although I am lifting weights to grow stronger and achieve better endurance, I am also gaining the strength to break down society’s standards of how women and their bodies should look. Being able to experience this powerlifting session was a game-changer for me because I was around other women who were motivated by their passionate goals.
