Colorado Springs i9 Sports launches co-ed summer flag football league

i9 Sports' Colorado Springs co-ed summer flag football league launched July 11 and will run through Aug. 15, giving families six weeks of Saturday games for $146 if they signed up by April 8.

The structure is built for access. i9 Sports' North Colorado Springs program says its football offerings are open to kids from beginner to advanced, and the co-ed format broadens the pool further for first-time players, multi-sport athletes and parents looking for a no-contact football option that does not ask for the time or commitment of tackle.

That timing fits a sport that keeps widening its reach. Project Play says flag football is "exploding across the U.S." and reported that in 2022, 277,000 more children ages 6-12 played flag than tackle. NFL FLAG, the NFL's official flag football program, says it operates 2,000-plus leagues, has 830,000-plus youth athletes and is active in all 50 states for players ages 4 to 17.

Colorado Springs already has a broader flag-football footprint around the league. The City of Colorado Springs describes adult flag football as non-contact and "one of the fastest growing sports in the world," while its youth sports materials say grant funding for free youth registration has been fully used, so families now register at standard rates. That makes the $146 entry fee more than a line on a signup page. It is part of the real cost calculation for parents trying to keep kids active without jumping into travel ball pricing.

Other local options reinforce how much room there is in the market. Flag50 lists a Colorado Springs recreational youth flag football league for ages 4 to 17 with coed divisions, a June 27 to Aug. 15 season and fees ranging from $100 to $159. YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region and Colorado NFL FLAG also operate in the area, giving families more than one path into the game.

For Colorado Springs, the i9 Sports league is attractive because it is short, scheduled on Saturdays and easy to fit around summer travel, camps and other sports. Its limit is the same thing that makes it accessible: a six-week run can introduce new players and give regular reps, but it does not replace the year-round development pipeline that travel and club football can offer.