NEENAH (NBC 26) — Flag football is gaining momentum across the country, with the sport set to debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics. Now, girls at Neenah Middle School are joining the movement, suiting up for the school’s first-ever girls flag football team.

Head coach Chris Polit, already involved with Neenah’s middle school tackle football program, said the idea came directly from student demand.

“I’m involved with the tackle program at the middle school, and so a lot of the girls in the hallway asked me about tackle football, but they’re not quite sure about coming out to join tackle,” Polit said. “And so over the last two years, girls basically hounding me to get something started and kind of two years in the making, kinda created it from scratch.”

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Neenah Middle School launches first-ever girls flag football team as national interest in the sport grows

With support from local businesses, school staff, and administrators, Polit built the program from the ground up. The student response, he said, exceeded expectations.

“I sent out a survey and I expected I’m like, oh, it’d be cool if I get 15 to 20 girls interested, and then I had 70 sign up,” he said. “So it was kinda crazy to see the response.”

Out of the 70 girls who signed up, only one had previous experience: sixth grader Maggie Eastman, who’s been playing flag football through the YMCA for six years.

“My brothers were throwing around in the front yard, and they needed someone else to play, so they asked me,” Eastman said. “And after we were done playing, I found it really fun and asked my dad if I could start playing actual organized football.”

Eastman said she’s usually the only girl on the field, so seeing her friends get involved has made the experience even more rewarding.

“It’s really awesome to me that they wanna do something, you know, not many girls play, mostly for boys, I guess.”

For eighth grader Madison Heuer, the sport is brand new. She was introduced to flag football through her brother and now finds herself invested in the game, on and off the field.

“When I used to turn on a game, I’d be bored. ‘Dad, change the channel,'” Heuer said. “But now I’m really fascinated, and I know what’s going on finally. And I know all the positions and what’s going around, so I became more in touch with football.”

With flag football headed to the Olympics and a recent Super Bowl commercial spotlighting girls in the sport, Polit believes the momentum is only growing—and that varsity-level competition could be next.

“Obviously, we’d love other middle schools to get involved and play other people other than ourselves,” Polit said. “I think it’s gonna get there in the next few years. Like I said, there’s a few other states that have it, and I think Wisconsin’s not gonna be far behind.”

Both Eastman and Heuer hope to keep playing through high school, and they’re excited that more schools in northeast Wisconsin will start teams of their own.

Teacher Appreciation Week was celebrated nationwide from May 5 to May 9, recognizing the transformative work of educators in children’s lives. 

At Arizona Desert Elementary School in Tolleson, five of its teachers were given more than words of praise for the celebratory week. Through the support of the Fiesta Sports Foundation, the educators were awarded $1,000 for their classroom needs, alongside additional gifts, including free hotel stays. 

“Our teachers deserve all the recognition that they receive. They do a phenomenal job. We’re a community of amazing educators on this campus that are absolutely passionate about caring for all of our students. They make a difference every single day,” said Brenda Catlett, Arizona Desert Elementary School principal.

Catlett hosted a teacher nomination, where students wrote letters as to why they are grateful for their teacher. She received over 100 letters from students through eighth grade.

These letters were sent to the Fiesta Sports Foundation — formerly Fiesta Bowl Charities — which chose five teachers to receive $1,000 each to support their classroom in celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week. The following teachers were selected by the foundation:

• Shannon Stanley, third- to fifth-grade resource teacher

• Elizabeth Farr, second-grade teacher

• Ericka Green, fourth-grade science teacher

• Brittany Morgan, fifth-grade language arts and history–social science teacher

• Franki Diaz, seventh-grade writing and science teacher

Each teacher was surprised in their classrooms with an oversized check and a box full of gifts. Before the grand reveal, however, the student whose letter was selected by Fiesta Sports read the kind words before the teacher and the class.

“I’m super grateful for all of them. I can’t believe that she wrote that letter like this. It is the sweetest thing I have,” Green said.

Green did not expect to become a teacher. It fell in her lap, she described, and she is thankful that she did, as she is now “here for the long haul.” The letter she received described how she helps her students both in class and outside of school, through their good and bad days.

She oftentimes receives appreciative notes from her students, but this letter warmed her heart like no other.

“The words that she wrote about helping her outside of school, sometimes you don’t realize that you make that impact on students, and that they kind of carry that when they go home. That’s what makes this one super special,” Green said.

Giving back to the community is a hallmark of the Fiesta Sports Foundation, Sandra Avila, community relations director. The organization is known for its College Football Playoff postseason game, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. However, it is active throughout the year, providing charitable resources that benefit communities throughout Arizona. It considers itself the state’s leading organization in creating “unforgettable experiences through world-class sporting events, unparalleled hospitality and life-changing community impact,” per its website.

“It’s that appreciation portion. It’s letting them know that they’re doing amazing work, that they are making a difference in their students,” Avila said.

The Fiesta Sports Foundation supported three additional schools in Arizona during Teacher Appreciation Week, providing $5,000 in funding to each location. The staff enjoyed giving back to the teachers, including Spirit, the foundation’s mascot, who brought smiles to the kids’ faces throughout the day.

“We are pillars for youth sports and education, and Teacher Appreciation Week is certainly an opportunity to celebrate and honor teachers for the amazing work that they’re doing,” Avila said. “Doing it in partnership with the students who nominated the teachers, who were able to write a beautiful letter about why their work is so important, it makes it very special.” 

For more information about the Fiesta Sports Foundation and its charitable works, visit 

fiestasportsfoundation.org.

Ronald A. MacMillan, age 88, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 16, 2025, with his family by his side at Ecumen Lakeshore in Duluth, Minnesota.

Ron was born on February 26, 1937, in Duluth to Gertrude (Holt) and Charles MacMillan. He graduated from Central High School and married the love of his life, Diane Barnish, on May 27, 1961.

Ron spent most of his career as a supervisor for the Duluth Transit Authority, retiring in 1998. He had a lifelong passion for sports, especially hockey. As a youth, he played in the Portman hockey program and continued through high school at Duluth Central. Ron gave back to the hockey community throughout his life, serving in many roles within the Piedmont Youth Hockey Association, including helping build the new rink and assisting with rink maintenance. He was also a board member of the Piedmont Community Club, a dedicated volunteer at Mars Lakeview Arena, Grandma’s Marathon Volunteer, and a past member of the Lion’s Club.

In the winter months, Ron enjoyed downhill skiing, and in the summers, he cherished time with family at their cabin in Barnes, Wisconsin. He and Diane also spent many winters in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where Ron was an active member of the Oyster Bay Village community. Known for his warm heart and genuine interest in others, Ron never forgot a face and made everyone feel remembered and valued.

Ron was preceded in death by his parents; his daughter, Mary Peterson; brothers, Howard and Bruce MacMillan; sisters, Marjorie (Ben) Chaffey and Genevieve (Gordon) Middag; sister-in-law, Pat Shearer; and his in-laws, Marion and John Barnish.

He is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Diane MacMillan; his sons, Mike (Susie) MacMillan and Tim (Kristi) MacMillan; grandchildren, Jackie (Becky Thelen) MacMillan, Michael (Julie Chang) MacMillan, Madeline Peterson, Christian MacMillan, and Katherine MacMillan; great-grandchild, ACE MacMillan-Chang; sister-in-law, Jeanne (Rick) Rep; brother-in-law, Dan Shearer; along with Tracy (Botten) MacMillan, many cousins, nieces, nephews, and dear friends.

Memorial will be used for a bench at Brighton Beach. 

A visitation from 10:00 a.m. followed by an 11:00 a.m. funeral service Thursday, May 22, 2025 at Downs Life Celebration Center, 1902 N. 34th St., Superior, WI, with Pastor John Hartman officiating.  Ron will be laid to rest at Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth.