> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Arlington Girls Flag Football Is Paving the Way - URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/arlington-girls-flag-football-is-paving-the-way/ - Published: 2026-10-14T11:59:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-14T11:58:59.000Z - Description: In his second season, coach Michael Zaremba has the Lions off to their best start in program history. Now the team just needs someone in the stands. - Author: Anthony Solorzano - Tags: Sports Michael Zaremba would never have applied for the opening at Arlington High School to coach the girls flag football team if it weren't for his daughters begging him to apply. The only reason he applied was to have the opportunity to tell his daughters that he tried. Zaremba became the third coach in the program's history, hired for the long run with the administration hoping he could grow the program. "I would have never thought that they would hire me, being an outsider," he said. Since taking over the Lions' flag football program, a sport that has only been CIF-sanctioned and a part of the athletic department at Arlington High School for four years, Zaremba has established a foundation. During his first year as coach of the junior varsity and varsity teams, he didn't have to make any cuts during the tryouts and finished with six wins in 19 games. "If you showed up to all days of tryouts and you kept coming to practice, you made the team," he said. The second time around, things changed — more than 90 girls showed up and Zaremba had to make cuts. His varsity team started the season 6-1 and is currently 12-8. "We've already met the high-water mark for what was the best season last season in program history," he said. The program has grown so much during his time, and with growth come higher costs for the players. The team is fundraising through a partnership with Gateway Express Car Wash on Van Buren Boulevard in Riverside throughout the season. The car wash created a barcode specifically for the program, allowing customers to have a portion of their purchase go back to the team. "Just being able to build that culture, build that lasting legacy for the girls to have something that they can hold on to for a while and feel a part of something that's bigger than themselves," Zaremba said. That kind of growth would surely translate into the stands. Everyone loves a successful team. The crowds under the lights must be jamming at every single home game for the Lions. "Some sports get more attention than others on the girls' level," Zaremba said. "The boys' level seems to be getting the most attention across the board, regardless if you're talking about baseball, football, basketball, golf, tennis, etc. The boys tend to have a lot more attention in the community with support." The girls teams do well, he added, but they draw noticeably smaller crowds, a reality that extends beyond Arlington. According to a study by Unlimited's Human Understanding Lab, only 47% of men watch women's sports, compared with 84% of men who watch men's sports. Some of the reasons people gave for not following women's sports included the quality of play, the thrill of the game and competitiveness. Sure, but on any given day people watch the Angels play professional baseball and no one complains about the thrill of the game? The lack of attention can be demoralizing for the girls on the field, Zaremba said. During a team meeting, his athletes expressed their frustration about the amount of attention their team gets on campus, compared to the boys football program. "We're off to the best start in program history and their friends aren't out there \[in the stands\]," he said. "It's not as exciting, we don't have a game day announcer in the booth calling our games for us and those kinds of things set the tone for the culture of what the program should be." Research shows girls lose their sense of belonging in sports at a higher rate than boys across adolescence. By ages 14 to 18, 66% of girls, compared with 73% of boys, say sports are "for someone like me," according to a 2026 Women's Sports Foundation Sports Report. It's not just about telling people to show up to the games. Because the game is so new to the high school level, flag football needs to establish itself first. It is in its infancy at the CIF level and at Arlington. Zaremba reminds his players that history is repeating itself; before their time, women's sports did not always exist. Girls basketball wasn't always the sport it is today, either. The Lions aren't just competing for wins on the gridiron; they are helping establish what a sport can become at Arlington High School. "They're in a unique position to pave the way for the future," Zaremba said.