Back Bay Pair Sign Historic Women's Flag Football Scholarships at Cal Poly

Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar alums Maia Helmar and Alexa Rokos join inaugural Division I program on the West Coast.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 12:09am

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A fractured, multi-angled painting depicting the dynamic action of a women's flag football game, with sharp geometric shapes and planes in vibrant colors representing the players, ball, and field.The geometric, cubist style captures the fast-paced, fluid motion of women's flag football, a rapidly growing collegiate sport.San Luis Obispo Today

Maia Helmar and Alexa Rokos, former high school rivals from Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar, have signed to play women's flag football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, becoming part of the school's historic inaugural Division I recruiting class. Cal Poly is the first Division I program for women's flag football on the West Coast, and the two local standouts are excited to team up at the next level after competing against each other in high school.

Why it matters

The addition of women's flag football as an NCAA Emerging Sport has opened up new opportunities for female athletes, and Cal Poly's new program is a significant milestone for the sport's growth on the West Coast. Helmar and Rokos' decision to join the Mustangs' inaugural roster highlights the increasing popularity and legitimacy of women's flag football at the collegiate level.

The details

Helmar, a two-time Sunset League MVP who helped Newport Harbor reach the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title game in 2024, will play receiver and linebacker for Cal Poly. Rokos, a 2025 CdM graduate, started a club women's flag football program at Santa Barbara City College this spring and expects to play linebacker for the Mustangs. Both athletes were speechless when offered the opportunity to join Cal Poly's new program, the first Division I women's flag football team on the West Coast.

  • Cal Poly announced plans to add a women's flag football program last summer.
  • In March 2026, the university named former Orange Lutheran coach Rod Sherman as the inaugural head coach.
  • Helmar and Rokos signed their National Letters of Intent in April 2026 to join Cal Poly's historic inaugural recruiting class.

The players

Maia Helmar

A two-time Sunset League MVP who helped Newport Harbor reach the CIF Southern Section Division 1 title game in 2024. She has also competed on the U.S. 17U Junior National Team and will play receiver and linebacker for Cal Poly.

Alexa Rokos

A 2025 Corona del Mar graduate who started a club women's flag football program at Santa Barbara City College this spring. She expects to play linebacker for the Mustangs.

Rod Sherman

The inaugural head coach of the women's flag football program at Cal Poly. He previously coached tackle football at Orange Lutheran High School and will now assist his wife, Kristen, who led the Lancers' girls' flag football program.

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What they’re saying

“When I got the phone call from coach Sherman, I was speechless. I had no words. It's kind of crazy how I played as a 7-year-old against the boys for fun, and now I have the opportunity to play D1. I never would have thought that it would come this far.”

— Alexa Rokos

“It's crazy how much the sport has grown, to the point where there's all-girls leagues, all-girls teams, the Olympics, college sports. I was a softball player since I was 6 years old. If you would have asked me that many years ago, I would have said I'd be D1 for softball, but it's crazy how [flag football] has changed the path of my future.”

— Maia Helmar

What’s next

Cal Poly's women's flag football team will begin its inaugural season in Fall 2026 as part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, with the goal of eventually achieving NCAA championship status.

The takeaway

The addition of women's flag football at the Division I level, starting with Cal Poly's new program, represents a significant milestone for the sport's growth and legitimacy. Helmar and Rokos' decision to join the Mustangs' historic inaugural roster highlights the increasing opportunities for female athletes to compete at the highest collegiate level.