By Kyle Spurr, UM News Service
MISSOULA – Ainsley MacKenzie knew she wanted to attend the University of Montana to study secondary education and work to become a high school teacher. But the freshman from Lakeridge, Oregon knew pursuing her educational goals would mean giving up her dreams of playing flag football in college.
MacKenzie’s high school started women’s flag football two years ago, and she helped the team reach back-to-back undefeated seasons. She found a true passion for flag football, which is one of the fastest growing sports globally and will debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
MacKenzie even considered transferring from UM to find an opportunity to keep playing the sport she loves. Just as she was feeling lost, MacKenzie heard about UM starting a club women’s flag football team. She immediately signed up and joined about 20 other players for the team’s first practices.
“Griz flag is everything I ever dreamed of,” MacKenzie said. “Playing the sport I love at my dream school – I couldn’t really ask for more. Football means everything to me and being able to play in college is an absolute blessing.”
MacKenzie and her new Griz flag football teammates gathered earlier this month for the inaugural practice in the Adam Center’s East Auxiliary Gym. Their head coach Rajiem Seabrook reminded the team that they were making history as the first collegiate program in the state of Montana and across the Northwest.
“The first page of UM flag football history was just written,” Seabrook said after the practice.
Seabrook and two assistant coaches are preparing the team for their first games on March 28-29 in Billings against the University of Colorado Boulder’s club team.
Seabrook, who also coaches the Missoula Sentinel High School’s girls flag football team, said he is trying to establish two high school all-star teams to play UM, CU and any other college teams that may form in the state and region.
He sees a pipeline forming with local high school players coming to UM to continue playing flag football. At the first practice, Seabrook invited a few high school players who were interested in joining the college team.
Bayley Stanley, a senior on Sentinel’s flag football team who was at the practice, said she plans to join the Griz team in the fall. Having an opportunity to play collegiate flag football solidified her decision to attend UM, she said.
“I’m already fully committed here,” Stanley said. “It helped because I was choosing between Montana State and here, and this was a factor.
“I feel really honored honestly to play here. It’s empowering to women all around. I’m excited to see how far it can go and hopefully I can help out along the way.”
The Griz flag football team practices three days a week, rotating between the Adam’s Center, Dornblaser Field, a turf field at Fort Missoula and in the new Grizzly Indoor Practice Facility. The team is focused on their throwing and catching and memorizing 38 different plays in their playbook.
For MacKenzie, the hard work and practice is well worth it. She is grateful to keep playing since she thought her flag football career was coming to an end.
“I thought it was over,” MacKenzie said. “But football is my thing. I have a lot of passion for it.”
Similar to her teammate MacKenzie, Brooks Whitman also thought her flag football career was over when she arrived at UM last fall. Whitman was thrilled to see information about the new club team posted earlier this year.
“Honestly, I saw the post and I cried,” Whitman said. “I was super excited.”
Whitman, a freshman wildlife biology student from Fairbanks, Alaska, played varsity flag football all four years of high school and competed in Alaska’s first ever regional and state tournaments. She grew up playing soccer, but fell in love with the community she found within flag football.
She and her teammates are motivated to help build the program at UM, and be a part of this historic first season.
“The support from the school and being able to represent as the first college women’s flag football team in Montana means everything to us,” Whitman said.
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Photos:
Flag_Football1: UM flag football players throw and catch during an outdoor practice at Dornblaser Field. (UM Photo by Marley Barboeisel)
Flag_Football2: Bayley Stanley, a senior on Sentinel’s flag football team, plans to attend UM next year and join the club women’s flag football team. (UM photo by Tommy Martino)
Flag_Football3: UM freshman Brooks Whitman avoids a defender during the inaugural practice for the club women’s flag football team. (UM photo by Tommy Martino)
Flag_Football4: Ainsley MacKenzie (left) celebrates with her UM flag football teammates. (UM Photo by Marley Barboeisel)
