Kimorah Menifee ’29 spent three years trying to bring flag football to her high school, but the plans never came together. When her school finally launched a team, she had already graduated.
“I thought my dream of playing flag football was over,” says Menifee, a health and wellness major on the pre-physician track. “But then I met Blake.”
Blake Burks ’24, MS ’27, was working to establish a women’s flag football team at Canisius University. When he told Menifee he needed players, she didn’t hesitate. She signed up as the first player on the roster and spread the word to her friends.
Now, as a cornerback on Canisius’ first women’s flag football team, Menifee is helping build the program. “I am so grateful to be a part of this journey,” she says.
Menifee’s story reflects the excitement surrounding the new team. Some players have waited years for an opportunity to play, while others are discovering the sport for the first time. Together, they’re learning the game, building friendships and helping establish a team they hope will continue to grow.
A fast-growing sport comes to Canisius
Flag football is gaining ground at schools and colleges across the country. The NFL estimates that approximately 20 million people play flag football worldwide, including more than 4.1 million youth participants in the United States — an increase of more than 50% since 2020.
More than 100 colleges and universities offer women’s flag football programming. In January 2026, the NCAA added the sport to its Emerging Sports for Women program; and in 2028 flag football makes its Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Los Angeles.
For Burks, a sport administration graduate student who has coached club basketball and served as an offensive coordinator for the University at Buffalo’s women’s flag football program, bringing the sport to Canisius was an opportunity to create something new.
After gaining experience with Buffalo’s program, he approached Alec Wheeler, assistant director of athletic facilities to find out what it would take to start a club team at Canisius.
Learning he needed seven registered players, he began recruiting. The response exceeded his expectations: nearly 30 players attended tryouts. “Actually seeing it come together feels surreal,” Burks says.
What has been most rewarding, he says, is seeing how eager the players are to learn and how quickly the team has begun to form its own community. “Sports bring people together,” Burks says. “I knew that from playing basketball and football, but seeing my players and support staff form genuine friendships through this team makes it even more meaningful.”
New sport, new skills
The players arrived with a range of backgrounds. Some had played flag football before, while others brought experience from other sports including basketball, cheerleading, rugby, soccer, track and field, volleyball and tennis.
For Rory Warren ’28, a biology major on the pre-medical track, flag football was a chance to finally play a sport she had long enjoyed watching. But her high school sports schedule never allowed her to join its new girls’ flag football team.
When Canisius announced its team, she saw her opportunity. “I think there’s something really special about that because we’re all figuring things out together, relying on one another, and growing as a team,” says Warren, a captain who plays slot and wide receiver, and running back.
Even with years of experience in varsity soccer, basketball, golf and tennis, Warren found that football required a different approach.
“There’s so much more strategy involved than I initially realized,” she says. “It’s not just about being fast or athletic; you really have to understand the game and be able to make quick decisions.”
Warren has added extra training outside regular practices to work on footwork, hand-eye coordination and the fundamentals.
For Kristin LeGrand ’29, a business administration and cybersecurity student, flag football is her first experience with the sport after five years of playing volleyball in high school. She joined to become more active and involved in the Canisius community and says the team’s supportive atmosphere has made the transition easier.
“Even as a new team, the way we talk to each other and the synergy we have is unbeatable,” LeGrand says.
Priscillia Iheke ’29, a biology major on the pre-medical track who plays running back, arrived with experience in five high school sports, including rugby and track and field. Still, learning flag football challenged her in new ways.
At first, she questioned whether she was good enough. But with practice and encouragement, her confidence grew — and she scored her first touchdown for the team during a scrimmage against Villa Maria College in Buffalo.
“I continued to try and didn’t give up on myself just because I thought I wasn’t good,” Iheke says. “Everyone starts from somewhere, especially when trying a new sport.”
Burks says players with flag football experience have helped teach their teammates, along with members of the undergraduate coaching staff who have football backgrounds. Players also put in extra work outside scheduled practices, a commitment that has impressed him.
“The skills from those sports translated,” Burks says. “All of the players have shown immense passion for the game.”
Finding a team beyond the field
For players, the rewards go beyond the game: the team has introduced them to classmates across majors and given them a community beyond the classroom.
Warren balances her biology coursework and pre-medical studies with research, tutoring and leadership roles in student organizations. She says flag football gives her a reason to step away from her studies.
“I’ve had study sessions with some of my teammates, gone out to eat with them, and spent time together outside of practice,” she says. “It’s nice knowing that the friendships we’re building aren’t limited to the football field.”
Menifee appreciates that same sense of belonging. “Being part of this team has connected me deeper to the Canisius community. I’ve gotten to know students in different class years, learned about new opportunities from the other girls and become a more confident athlete and student." She adds, "I don’t think people understand how nice it is to say ‘my team. It's really is my favorite part.
Burks hopes the experience gives the players something that lasts long after their time on the field.
“I want these women and my male support staff to feel like they have a purpose,” he says. “A club sport introduces us to people that we probably would’ve never met otherwise.”
He also sees his role as extending beyond football. “Above all, no matter the outcome on the field, I always try to speak life into my players,” he says. “They are humans and college students before they’re athletes. They need to know that they are loved and valued unconditionally.”
Taking the first step
Joining a new team can be intimidating, particularly for students who have never played the sport. Several Canisius players say they worried about making mistakes or not measuring up when they first arrived.
LeGrand says she was nervous but instead found teammates who encouraged her. “The same people I was scared of judging me are the same girls building me up,” she says.
Warren remembers arriving at tryouts knowing only a couple of people. Now, she has a team she can rely on — and a new sport that has become one of her favorite parts of college. “I would tell students that you don’t have to be the best athlete or have years of experience to get involved,” she says. “I never played flag football, and it’s already become one of my favorite experiences.”
LeGrand adds, “Never let fear stop you from unlocking a greater version of yourself.”
The Golden Griffins are building the foundation for the program’s future as they prepare for their first spring competition schedule.
Burks says he has already heard from high school players interested in playing at Canisius in the future. For students still waiting for the right moment to get involved, Burks says “The time is going to pass, you might as well spend that time joining a community where you can have fun and form bonds that you will take with you for the rest of your life.”
