Since 2021, the Bears — with the support of Nike, Gatorade and Visa — have played an integral role in bringing girls flag football to high schools in Illinois and helping expand the sport to the IHSA level. This year, ChicagoBears.com took a deep dive into how the sport changes the lives of the student-athletes who play it. We followed the Whitney Young Dolphins, a Chicago Public League team that just completed its fourth season under head coach Valerie Spann and has now placed at the State Championships in back-to-back years.

This is the last of a three-part series where Bears writer Gabby Hajduk and photographer Molly Kaiser give readers an exclusive look into how Whitney Young navigates the aftermath of a successful season and the numerous future opportunities flag football is presenting.

High-pitched, boisterous laughter seeped through the cracks of a conference room at Whitney Young High School and echoed through the building's otherwise silent west wing.

It was a random Thursday afternoon in February, and most students at the Chicago Public School either remained in their classrooms or flocked to the second-floor cafeteria for lunch. The 20 students from the Dolphins' State finalist girls flag football team, however, received a pass from their typical school day responsibilities and met for what they joked was their "last meal."

167 days had passed since I first met the girls at their Aug. 22 practice. And each day that I had seen them since, they always asked the same question.

"When are you going to buy us Chick-fil-A?"

Not only was it their favorite pregame meal, but one Molly and I brought to eat ourselves during one of their games, which they felt extremely betrayed by. I eventually caved and promised to grant their wish once the Bears' season concluded.

What Molly and I didn't know when we arrived at the school — with an exorbitant number of greasy bags in hand — was that the conference room where we spent the next couple of hours reminiscing, joking around and even tearing up was the same spot where a different set of emotions poured out from the girls just 129 days prior.

That room, which served as the location of the team's infamous players-only meeting after their upset loss in the conference tournament, had transformed from a meeting spot riddled with tension, arguments and tears to one utilized for positive news, surprises and the celebration of sisterhood. It was where Bears director of youth football development Gustavo Silva presented junior Ja'Mya Hamilton and coach Valerie Spann with the Bears' final Player of the Week and Coach of the Week honors of the 2025 season back in November. It was where principal Rickey Harris told the team that senior Nina Lloyd was invited to represent Illinois in the 2026 NFL FLAG Girls High School Showcase at the Pro Bowl Games.

And it was where we met for the final time as an entire group.

Senior Kennedy Glover said back in September that before their players-only meeting, there were "gaps within the team" and even some division amongst the girls. Since that day, the group filled those holes, initially with their on-field play that propelled them to a second-place finish at the state tournament. Yet over the course of those 129 days, the time they spent together off the field solidified that bond into concrete, one built meticulously on purpose, gratitude and friendship.

As we discussed what they learned, their growing pains and favorite memories from the season, the girls all came to the same conclusion: they deeply missed playing flag football together. While some have continued playing in the winter and spring for various travel teams, opportunities that present new challenges, growth and fun, it still doesn't elicit the same type of passion as when they played for the Dolphins. Even though the individual aspects on the field are the same, the team camaraderie and familiarity are vastly different.

These girls love playing flag football, but more than anything, they loved playing flag football together.

"I miss flag so much," junior DeeDee Dudley said. "I took it for granted. We had it too good."

"After flag, I haven't really seen the fun in things anymore," senior Brithany Torres said. "Flag football was my first sport and it was very fulfilling."

"I miss the community we had," senior Sofia Sarmiento said. "I miss seeing each other every day."

"I've just been trying to find my purpose again," Glover said.

"So, wrapping it up, I think we all just miss flag," senior Arden Rubenstein said.

Plenty of other vulnerable statements were shared in that conference room, but between each girl opening up about what life has been like since the Dolphins' season ended 110 days prior, there were just as many jokes cracked and laughter shared. It was difficult to wrap up the lunch. We took some group photos, and while Spann urged the girls to go back to class, many tried to linger around and chat with Molly and me for as long as possible.

To be clear, we're not naïve enough to think they only wanted to stay and hang out with us – any high schooler wouldn't mind missing a few extra minutes of class – but I do think they had been missing these types of moments with their teammates. There were no more carpools to away games, pregame hair braiding, messing around after evening practices or halftime adrenaline rushes.

Plus, the team was already changing. Nine girls were months away from graduating and entering an entirely new chapter of life. A few girls were preparing to be the senior leaders of the team next season and taking steps to be recruited by colleges. Some were just eagerly awaiting spring workouts.

There was no hiding from the fact that Whitney Young girls flag football will never look the same moving forward. While that may be a hard pill to swallow for the girls right now, the opportunities that have been presented to them over the past few months and those that still lie ahead will be well worth the temporary challenges that change brings. A world of opportunity awaits each of these players.

"I felt emotional," Spann said of the lunch. "I'm like, 'Okay, I think I'm doing something right.' They want to play flag football. They miss it, which is a good thing because once you're in it, you won't take it for granted. I think this next year, they're going to look forward and put in the work to get better. They're going to want to do it. I think most of them would rather start right now if we could.

"To hear them speak on it, how it's touched their lives in such a positive way, I felt like a proud parent — that I'm doing something right."

In the summer of 2023, then-incoming sophomore and basketball player Nina Lloyd considered joining the girls flag football team. She was searching for the best way to stay in shape for basketball season and was familiar with Spann, who previously coached girls basketball before stepping away to lead the newly formed flag program.

After Lloyd conditioned with the team in the summer, Spann urged her to consider playing. With no good reason to resist, Lloyd obliged.

"I just thought this would be a fun little thing to do in the fall," Lloyd shared.

In three short years, Lloyd developed into a dependable team captain and top defensive player in Illinois, earning All-State honors at safety in back-to-back seasons.

"I'd like to say I'm shocked, but I'm not," Michelle Lloyd said of her daughter's success. "Because once she starts doing something that she likes, she'll throw everything into it, and that's what we see here. She's throwing everything into it. This is fun for her. And that's what is most important.

"She needs to continue to have fun. She comes out here and you can see the smile. You can see the laughter. You can see the fun. She enjoys it."

The irony is that Lloyd often comes across as nonchalant. Her teammates even describe her as someone who "doesn't really get excited," yet in reality, she is almost always having the most fun out of anyone on the field. When Lloyd is in the zone, her beaming smile rarely leaves her face.

Only girls flag football could bring out that side of her consistently. That pure, child-like love for the game is what powers her, and with her natural athletic instincts combined with a willingness to be coached, Lloyd leveraged on-field ascension into an entirely new world of opportunities, which most notably included an invite to this year's Pro Bowl Games.

For the second consecutive year, the NFL hosted a flag football showcase during Super Bowl week featuring 32 of the nation's top high school seniors from teams ranked in the USA Today Sports Super 25. Nominated by the Bears, Lloyd, along with State Champion and Maine South quarterback Aribella Spandiary, earned the trip to San Francisco.

"This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Lloyd said. "Not many people get this, and it's amazing that they chose us to be here. I really played this sport for fun, so I would never expect it to take me here, to the Pro Bowl, to an NFL stage. It's actually amazing."

The exclusive experience first and foremost meant Lloyd and Spandiary could display their talents on a national stage since the showcase aired on ESPN just before the Pro Bowl Games for any college coach or recruiter to watch.

But in a larger sense, it opened Lloyd's eyes to the meteoric global rise of flag football. While in San Francisco, Lloyd bonded with the other 31 players who were invited, gaining new perspectives from girls all across the country from different backgrounds, levels of competition and experiences being a trailblazer. The NFL hosted multiple group activities to allow the girls a chance to bond on a personal level, including a mini golf and arcade outing on the first night and a Golden Gate Bay Cruise the following night.

On Monday, the girls hit the practice field, then stayed to watch the NFC team game plan for the Pro Bowl, which gave Lloyd the chance to meet Bears Pro Bowlers and fellow defensive backs Kevin Byard III and Nahshon Wright.

Ironically, and to her genuine shock, Lloyd later found herself on the opposite end of that type of interaction, one where she was the star athlete that young aspiring athletes idolize.

"When I went to San Francisco, I learned that people actually like this sport," Lloyd said. "People actually want to do this; they love this sport. There were so many kids on 13U teams from around the world, like Panama and China, and they were talking to me. They were, like, looking up to me. That was really cool."

Even days removed from her interactions with those 13U teams, Lloyd still couldn't fathom how, in just three years, she went from learning the fundamentals of pulling a flag or catching a pass to being a player others look up to. She went from mentee to mentor, from fan to idol in the blink of an eye — proof that expanding the game locally and globally is creating new paths for and building confidence in young athletes.

"It's great that they are getting all these opportunities, and it's another reason to come out for flag," Spann said. "I'm hoping there are some young ladies who are thinking about coming out, and they see what these kids are experiencing and it makes them want to come out, which is great for our program, great for the advancement of flag football in the state. I think it's opening a lot of eyes for these young ladies to recognize, 'Hey, we can have this opportunity,' and have them striving for more."

Even before Lloyd jetted off to California, she had another opportunity to prove her skills to college recruiters, this time alongside hundreds of Illinois athletes at the Bears' third annual Girls Flag College Showcase. Hosted at Halas Hall's Walter Payton Center, the Bears, in partnership with USA Football, provided more than 200 high schoolers the opportunity to participate in position drills and compete in scrimmages in front of 15 college recruiters.

Alongside Lloyd at the showcase were senior quarterback Georgia Lang, DeeDee Dudley and junior safety Analisa Perez, as well as Spann and Whitney Young assistant coach Edward Hamilton, both of whom assisted with drills.

"It's very meaningful, and I appreciate the Bears for doing this for all of us," Dudley said, "because some girls, including myself, might not know how to connect with coaches if you do want play in the future. This has definitely given us a pathway."

The showcase featured both in-state and out-of-state universities that compete at the NAIA, NJCAA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III levels. Women's collegiate flag football first launched in 2021 with NAIA schools and is now on the path to expanding across Division I conferences and becoming an NCAA Championship sport after being added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in January.

Whether it's for a senior looking to play at the next level the following season or an underclassmen setting their sights on a DI program years from now, events such as the Bears' showcase are providing girls direct access to the evolving collegiate landscape, which also includes opportunities for grants or scholarships and even an avenue to flag football's Olympic debut during the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

The showcase also gives college coaches a rare opportunity to see hundreds of prospects in one space. For Illinois Wesleyan head coach Melissa Valenzuela, whose team will compete in its inaugural season this spring, it's nearly impossible to travel statewide during a condensed high school season to get a full evaluation of the talent pool.

"The showcase is helpful, it's efficient, it's easy and honestly, it's a delight to see so many of them," Valenzuela said. "I love seeing their camaraderie, their enthusiasm. We didn't have this. And this is a big deal. I didn't start playing until I was an adult, and I believe my life would've changed for the better if I had flag football in high school.

"So these girls, the reason why what the Chicago Bears have done is so impactful, is they're experiencing a life that was unimaginable. This sport is going to take them in directions they probably never dreamed of."

Valenzuela did have the opportunity to attend the IHSA State Series this fall, where she felt "pumped up" watching Whitney Young's second-place run. Part of the college recruiting process is understanding the type of program a player comes from, which includes assessing their coach, their style of play and their football IQ. When evaluating the Dolphins' roster, especially their group of seniors, Valenzuela described Whitney Young's program as "a class act."

"I think when you have a coach that is disciplined, that pushes you, that challenges you, they are doing their job to prepare you for the next level," Valenzuela added. "Because my job is to shatter your world, start from scratch, essentially, with some of the basics that you have and develop you into someone who can compete for a national championship. My job is to take you out of your comfort zone and make you uncomfortable.

"Coach Val does that wonderfully. She creates a foundation for all of her players. And that's why I look at Whitney Young. That's why I'm talking to Nina Lloyd and Georgia Lang. Because I know what I'm getting."

Lang and Lloyd — both dual-sport athletes — are still in the process of deciding what the next four years of their lives will hold, including whether they'll pursue collegiate athletics at all.

While Lang has spent the majority of her athletic career focused on softball, this flag football season gave her a new perspective. Shortly after the State Series concluded, Lang made the difficult choice to forgo her senior season of high school softball to continue playing flag football for a travel program, including recently traveling to Tampa, Fla., for her first tournament.

No matter what Lang's future in flag football holds, her parents, as well as Spann, are proud of her ability to step outside her comfort zone, try something new and put in the necessary work to achieve both individual and team success. In Spann's eyes, stories like Lang's will likely become a trend as flag football continues to become more and more popular.

"I was super surprised because although she enjoyed her time with flag football, her first love was softball," Spann said. "And I don't think this is the last of it. I think you'll see a lot of young ladies that have played one sport their entire life kind of switch to flag football because they're enjoying it."

When Spann graduated from Xavier University in 1993 after playing four years of Division I basketball, the Chicago native came to terms with the end of her own athletic career.

That was until a decade ago, when her sister, Benita, invited her to play in a Co-ed flag football league in the city. Having only ever played football in the backyard with her brother and his friends growing up, Spann was unsure how she would fare. She initially agreed to attend one practice — a decision that truly changed every aspect of her life for the better.

Spann became hooked immediately and has spent the past 10 years playing quarterback and receiver for various Co-ed teams around Chicago. She currently plays for Absolute Athletics, a highly competitive program on the South Side.

"I wouldn't be where I am right now without my sister presenting that opportunity," Spann said. "I wish I had the opportunity back in high school, and if I had the opportunity that these kids are having, there's no telling where I would be right now with flag. But it's kept me active. It's kept me young. I've met so many great people, because as an adult, you normally don't really meet a lot of new people. But I've met a lot of great people, influential people that I probably would have never met otherwise."

While that wish could never be granted for Spann when she was in high school, she led the charge in making it possible for the girls at Whitney Young beginning in 2022. Like it did for her as a player, her coaching career came naturally. While she may not have started with the same knowledge about flag football as she did in basketball, her football ties run deep.

"I owe this all to my dad," Spann said. "He exposed me to professional sports and took me to games growing up. My dad was probably my biggest influence when it came to sports in Chicago. I've always just been a Bears fan. I can go all the way back to when they won the Super Bowl — I was a fan way before that. Win or lose, I'm a diehard Bears fan. You can't tell me anything different. And I'm just so grateful for this year.

"I had the opportunity to meet Caleb, and he is such a phenomenal person. I think in the last few years since I started coaching, I've been to more Bears games than I've been to in my entire life. And I owe that all to Gus and the whole Chicago Bears organization for them supporting and sponsoring flag football. I am eternally grateful."

The familial ties that pushed Spann toward sports, and eventually flag football, have heavily influenced how she leads the Dolphins' program. At the core of her coaching philosophy is pushing her athletes to exceed their own expectations while still providing a shoulder to lean on along the way. As Whitney Young begins transitioning to a new chapter of flag football in 2026, the Dolphins will be without their nine graduating seniors, four of whom were team captains last fall.

Since the Dolphins' 2025 run concluded, Spann said her brain has been turning nonstop with ideas for how to approach the upcoming year. It's also the first time that she has continued coaching after the high school season concluded. Now serving as an assistant coach with the travel program Lang plays for, Spann feels she is learning more and developing new ideas that she can eventually utilize at Whitney Young.

Now more than ever, Spann will need to trust her process. She is tasked with not only identifying new leaders for the 2026 season, but also developing a new starting quarterback who is yet to be determined.

Despite all the change, the Dolphins will return top playmakers on both sides of the ball, including juniors Dudley and Hamilton, both of whom earned First Team All-State honors in the fall and have continued finetuning their talents by playing with travel teams.

In terms of team culture, Spann trusts underclassmen such as sophomore Leighton Hormuth and freshmen Ella Schuler and Sophia Summers to help carry on the tight-knit sisterhood that gave this year's team the foundation to overcome adversity and reach their fullest potential together.

"I think for anybody, they may think of this year as a rebuild, but I have a great group of juniors now that will be seniors, and I have a lot of young players that played JV and some that played varsity," Spann said. "You're always looking to get better and add more pieces to it, but I think we have a really good core group.

"And so, the biggest goal, I know I hate to do this, but my goal is we always want to do better. Of course, you want to win State, but the biggest goal for me is to win the city championship with this upcoming group."

Throughout my time covering Whitney Young and girls flag football across Illinois this season, I continued hearing a phrase from the women I spoke with, whether it be parents of players, college coaches, other high school coaches, referees and even Bears staff members and executives.

"I wish I had this when I was their age."

It's a sentiment Molly and I would also often say to each other while standing on the Dolphins sideline during games, watching as this group of girls and hundreds of others throughout the state were given opportunities that were never even dreams or goals of ours, simply because we couldn't fathom them.

That sentiment wasn't rooted in feelings of jealousy or self-pity. It was more of an emotional plea for these girls to be grateful to be trailblazers, to take advantage of every opportunity that flag football provides them with, thanks to the support of the NFL and their hometown Chicago Bears.

"It has been a privilege to witness girls flag football flourish throughout the state of Illinois," executive vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion & chief impact officer Tanesha Wade said. "I admire the trailblazing players and coaches who are breaking down barriers in the sport of football and creating a more inclusive path for those who will follow them — and that includes the girls at Whitney Young. I was fortunate to watch the team compete at the IHSA State tournament in the fall, and was inspired by the passion, confidence, camaraderie and joy displayed on and off the field. The Bears are honored to be a part of this journey and remain committed to supporting opportunities to grow the game through girls flag football."

For the Whitney Young and Maine South programs, that included being introduced to the world of possibilities football possesses off the field. As the top two teams in the state, both programs received an invitation to the Bears' inaugural Celebrating Girls in Sports Career Expo at Halas Hall in November.

Between networking sessions with Bears female employees, including those in executive leadership positions, and a pair of panels where staff members provided insight into the variety of roles inside an NFL organization, the group of bright-eyed girls gained a new perspective on how playing football at a young age can influence both their short and long-term futures.

"It's powerful to see women in a male-dominated industry," Glover said. "I feel like it really helps you see a reflection of yourself and what you know you can do."

Since Spann began coaching at Whitney Young, she has always made sure to drill the value of gratitude and being present into her players. Throughout the Dolphins' run this season, she constantly urged them to enjoy the moment and appreciate the journey. More than anyone, she knows the power this sport holds.

Spann hoped the girls were hearing her pleas, which really encompassed those of generations of women, but at times, it felt as if they were falling on deaf ears.

Yet during our final team lunch, the truth came out. Before Molly and I left, we asked the girls if they wanted to share any lasting thoughts from the season.

"When we were younger, we always used to have to play football with the boys," Dudley said. "That wasn't fun. They didn't respect you."

"Freshman year when I started playing flag, not a lot of people knew what it was," Hormuth added, "There is such a big difference in one year as to how much this sport has grown. Now I'll talk to boys on the football team and they'll be like, 'Oh, you went to State, that's really cool,' and it's not in a mocking way. It's cool to see everyone else start respecting the sport as well."

"I've always loved football," sophomore Hannah Moore said. "There's a lot of little girls who would love to play football, but they couldn't. Now they can because of flag. It's a really great opportunity and I'm thankful we're at the forefront of it, that we're paving the way."

"Coming into high school, I didn't really imagine myself playing flag, but now I couldn't really imagine school without it," Schuler said. "It was a blessing in disguise because now it's something I'll always look forward to."

"I'm just really grateful for flag," Rubenstein said. "It's brought me a lot of happy memories over the years. I just love being a part of something that's touched so many people."

Spann's words resonated after all with the group of girls that she views as her own daughters.

Obviously, Spann coaches to win and to help her players reach their athletic potential. From helping build a first-time varsity quarterback into a First-Team All-City star to leading the Dolphins to back-to-back State trophies, the first program to do so, Spann delivered her best results yet. For any natural-born competitor, the number of individual and team accolades Whitney Young amassed would be considered a success.

But the most rewarding moment of the 2025 season may have been on that random Thursday in the frequented conference room, well after the Dolphins' season concluded. Their on-field success showed Spann that the girls listened to her, but the words and vulnerability they shared in between fits of laughter and bites of chicken meant they also heard her.

This group of Dolphins had not taken a moment of this imperfect yet fruitful journey for granted. They knew that their legacy won't be defined by records or trophies, but instead by their roles as trailblazers, not only at Whitney Young but throughout Illinois and across the country. They created lifelong friendships, connections and memories that could have only been possible by stepping out of their comfort zone to be the "firsts" of a new sport.

That is what we all wish we had at their age.

"I hope I'm doing the right thing, that I'm doing right by these young ladies and I want them to just not take for granted anything that's being presented to them," Spann said. "I want them to have this core memory of being in high school and playing flag football as one of the greatest times in their high school lives because high school can be very, very intense for some kids.

"I just want this part of their lives to be a core memory that they can look back on and can forever in their lives, you know, revert back to, hey, when I played flag football and just have a great memory doing it."