HILLSIDE, Ill. (CBS) — Girls’ flag football is now an official high school sport in Illinois, but a controversy at a western suburban high school has forced the girls to forfeit their season.
At Proviso West High School in Hillside, the girls were excited to play flag football as the Illinois High School Association recognized it as a sport. Miracle Perkins and Damiyah Yard have been training hard to play for the Panthers this year.
“I love football,” said Miracle, a freshman at Proviso West, “that’s something I wanted to do.”
Damiyah, a junior, saw playing on the new Proviso West team as an opportunity to play in college.
Chicago Bears President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Warren even spoke about the significance of girls playing football last February.
“We will remember Valentine’s Day as the day girls flag football became a sanctioned sport in the state of Illinois,” Warren said on Feb. 14.
But despite the hard work on the field, the Proviso West girls soccer team hasn’t played a game this season — and won’t — because of what’s happening off the field.
“They just canceled our entire season, and I feel like they took it out on us,” Miracle said.
Naquita Williams, better known as Coach China, was hired at the last minute to coach the Proviso West flag football team.
“We just want to coach. We just want to work,” Williams said.
Shortly after Williams was hired, Proviso Township High School District Interim Supt. Alexander Aschoff said in a statement: “The district has received a complaint of misconduct, which prompted an immediate investigation.”
“We can’t do politics with children,” Williams said.
Williams said she wasn’t even told why she was being investigated.
Some players even appealed to the school board to have Coach Williams rejoin the team. But Williams was banned from coaching and a replacement was never hired, ultimately costing the girls their season.
“They’re always in the middle,” Williams said. “These children are in the middle of a drama with adults.”
“I just got really mad and stuff, because you’re ruining our chances,” Miracle said.
Proviso West leaders did not specify the nature of the investigation against coach Williams, saying only that it is ongoing.
Charlie de Mar
