More than 100 young athletes took the field at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland for the second annual Girls Flag Football Camp, hosted by Sutter Health, Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young and the Forever Young Foundation.

The camp, which also featured Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, brought together girls ages 7 to 14 for a day of skill-building, confidence, teamwork and healthy living through flag football, one of the country’s fastest-growing sports.

Building on the success of the inaugural camp held earlier this year in Palo Alto, the Oakland event highlighted the growing opportunities available to girls in football, from high school teams to college scholarships.

“We were here today for the Sutter Health Girls Flag Football Camp,” Young said. “Two months ago, we had our first camp in Palo Alto, and now we are here in the East Bay. This was a chance to bring out the girls and show them football is your sport. There are now college scholarships for girls playing flag football. We’re working with Sutter Health to make sure you can play in your high school.”

Throughout the camp, participants rotated through drills and coaching stations led by volunteers and mentors while learning the fundamentals of the game in a supportive environment. The event also reinforced the importance of physical activity, mental wellness and leadership development.

“For me, it’s much bigger than just football,” said Trevor Brand, CEO of Sutter’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. “Football teaches a lot of incredible things, such as teamwork and resiliency. What’s most important is this teaches our girls that they belong in spaces that maybe weren’t necessarily created for them.”

Brand said the camp reflects Sutter Health’s commitment to supporting the overall health and well-being of young people across Northern California.

“We want to ensure we can provide different activities for girls and everyone in our community to stay healthy and stay active,” Brand said. “We’re excited that this camp gives girls the opportunity to learn new ways of doing that through a sport that we all love.”

The camp is part of a broader partnership between Sutter Health and the Forever Young Foundation focused on creating opportunities that promote lifelong health, confidence and connection for youth throughout the region. Earlier this year, the San Francisco 49ers and Sutter Health announced a new long-term partnership to bring health resources, preventive care and wellness programming to communities across Northern California.