RUSSELLVILLE - They're supposed to grab flags attached at the waist, but sometimes a tackle happens.
"I like tackling the littler boys," said Erin Libbert, 10.
Brettlynn Strother, 10, agreed: "It's fun."
Girls make up about one quarter of the players on Russellville flag football teams in the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department program.
"When you come from a small school, it takes everyone to do stuff," said mother Amy Edwards.
The Russellville boys on the flag football teams don't treat the girls any different. And the girls don't see anything wrong with girls playing football.
"I wish I could have played; that wasn't an option," Nikki Graham, another mom, said.
Although the Russellville teammates get along, that's not necessarily the case for the opposing teams in the Jefferson City league.
"The boys (sometimes) didn't want to play against girls," said mother Shannon Hackett. "If they don't have a girl on their team, it's weird."
Strother, Libbert and Edwards play other sports too - hockey, softball, volleyball and basketball. They agree they simply enjoy physical competition.
They wear their team jerseys to school and try to recruit potential athletes at recess.
"We would love to see more girls on the other teams, too," Edwards said.
Unlike this trio of 10-year-olds, Allison Hackett, 7, was the only girl on her first-grade flag football team last fall.
"It's weird," Allison admitted.
Russellville girls have ambitions of the game beyond the flag field, too.
"I like it because it's fast, something is always going on," said Courtney Edwards, 10.
The Russellville Football Boosters through the Russellville School Foundation currently are fundraising to reach $30,000 by July 2017, to be added to the area middle school teams' 2018 football season schedule.
"I expect these girls to go beyond sixth grade," said Coach Zach Hackett. "I think they're capable of playing middle school tackle football."
The latest development in Russellville's work to build a football program was Hackett's lobbying the Jefferson City Parks and Rec flag football program to extend participation from first through fourth grades to first through sixth grades.
"This is huge," said coach Zack Hackett. "They're excited they get longer to play."
The sign-up period for the flag football league is June 8-22.
"That keeps them learning and experiencing the game; it will help with involvement," Hackett said.
The Russellville community sent three students its first year, 35 last year and hopes to send more than 50 in first through sixth grades this year.
Averaging about a dozen per grade, roughly one-quarter of the elementary school student body participates.
"I didn't expect this but I'm thrilled," Hackett said. "They're easier to coach, quicker to learn and, I think, more aggressive.
"I would take a full team of girls."
FUNDRAISERS
The Russellville Football Boosters will host the first of several fundraisers at 7 p.m. July 15 at Reinhardt Circle, 2007 Buffalo Road.
The boosters hope by July 2017 to have raised $30,000, which will provide equipment and uniforms to start a school football program at the middle school. The bottomless keg and wine event featuring prime rib will include donated entertainment by DJ Lifetime Entertainment for $40.
To donate or for more information call 690-0956 or email [email protected].