Passing -116 attempts, 69 completions, 698 yards Kendra Pleasants, the head flag football coach at Lithia Springs, is loving the growth and expansion of the sport. “A lot of girls wanted to play football from the start,” says Pleasants. “It just wasn’t a sport that allowed them to completely play…it’s fun a lot of girls […]
Passing
-116 attempts, 69 completions, 698 yards
Kendra Pleasants, the head flag football coach at Lithia Springs, is loving the growth and expansion of the sport. “A lot of girls wanted to play football from the start,” says Pleasants. “It just wasn’t a sport that allowed them to completely play…it’s fun a lot of girls really enjoy it and it’s a sport that any, and everybody can play regardless of your skill level. So, it has room for everyone, I think that’s the main reason why the sport has continued to grow.”
Totals
-38 touchdowns
-98 tackles
-11 interceptions
With the advent of NIL, amateur athletes can finally profit off of their name, image, and likeness with the expectation that this phenomenon would significantly change the game that is amateur sports. In reality, most deals are relatively modest with only a handful of players making more than ,000. High school sports lack school branding rights or booster-funded collectives like one might see in college sports, but earning a deal is still quite an accomplishment in and of itself. The GHSA has vocalized its approval of such deals for its athletes but it’s still exceedingly rare to have one.
Alcovy
Appling County
Cherokee Christian
Drew Charter
Eastside
East Forsyth
Elbert County
Furlow Charter
Gilmer
Habersham Central
Landmark Christian
Manchester
Mitchell County
Mt. Zion-Carrollton
Thomasville
“She’s opening the door for other students to see what’s possible,” said ACSA’s CEO Roderick Liptrot via 11Alive in Atlanta.
As per the company’s mission statement, “We believe knowledge is power, especially when it comes to finances, our informational services, although non-revenue generating, are a core part of our offering. We provide comprehensive learning resources and seminars to help athletes understand how financial decisions made today can provide a prosperous future.”
Rushing
-149 carries, 915 yards
-First Lithia Springs High School athlete to receive an NIL deal
-Douglas County School System’s first female athlete to receive an NIL deal
-Voted Lithia Springs Flag Football MVP
If MyAngel Ross is any indication, there’s a well of untapped talent in the ladies in Georgia and they’re ready to show the world what they can do on the gridiron.
Ross becomes one of only about 58 active athletes with NIL deals in the state of Georgia, joining the likes of former Carrolton quarterback Julian Lewis, a 4-star early enrollee to play under Coach Deion Sanders at Colorado, and defensive lineman Elijah Griffin of Savannah Christian, a 5-star early enrollee at UGA. Her standout performance on the Lions’ flag football team as an electrifying two-way player at both the safety and receiver positions has been cause enough to be recognized for such a rare achievement in the Peach State. For context, the GHSA had 429,714 student athletes participating in high school sports last year in the 2023-2024 season, landing Ross’s accomplishment in the top less than one percent amongst her peers.
Ross’ Career Accolades and Career Stats:
That rarity lends to the historical nature of senior MyAngel Ross of Lithia Springs becoming the first in her high school’s history and the first female in the Douglas County School System to etch her name into writing for an NIL deal of her own.
Ross’ deal with Alternative Careers in Sports Academy isn’t solely for her benefit.
In this upcoming 2025 season, 15 new teams (and counting) will be taking the field.
Liptrot has also indicated that Ross will be a part of the selection process moving forward as ACSA selects a new Lithia Springs student each year to endorse. Her deal shines a light on what is possible for student athletes in the future but also calls attention to another area of sports that’s on the rise in the Peach State, girls flag football.
Receiving
-81 receptions, 762 yards
