Coaching for a legacy
When the Dallas Cowboys launched an elite girls flag football league, history was made across Dallas ISD—but nowhere was the impact felt more deeply than at Dr. L.G. Pinkston Sr. High School, which won the Dallas ISD division championship.
Nicole Stovall, assistant athletic director and lead flag football coach at Pinkston, said she was excited to create a legacy her team could claim forever and to help start the beginning of something bigger for her players and the community.
“Honestly, just being a part of the first inaugural staff in Dallas meant a lot,” Stovall said. “This is going to be great, and, of course, we always want to be history makers.”
For Stovall, this focus on creating lasting impact has deep roots. A Louisiana native, Stovall’s coaching journey began in New Orleans, where she worked with NFL-affiliated middle school flag football leagues and spent time empowering young athletes. After Hurricane Katrina upended her life, Stovall relocated to Chicago where she taught college football at the now defunct Robert Morris University Illinois. In 2007, she decided to move to Dallas and join Pinkston, where she has been coaching ever since.
“This is why I mentor students. Sometimes things are placed in our lives and then taken away, so I remind them they can’t take anything
for granted,” Stovall said. “I’m just trying to coach them through some of the things that I’ve been through, so that they don’t make the same mistakes.”
Applying these life lessons to the field, Stovall teaches all her players—including the girls’ basketball team—not only resilience from personal loss but also a deep belief in the power of sports to build discipline, collaboration, and self-confidence.
“I think the team is working on building character, because that also means being able to handle adversity,” she said. “Sometimes when we get to a certain competition level, we have to learn how to win and how to lose with grace.”
The commitment to developing character alongside athletic skill has translated directly into the enthusiasm for flag football. Pinkston’s team saw 15 to 20 girls participate in the first year, and Stovall has already been approached by numerous female students eager to join.
“I had so many young ladies at the beginning of the school year express their interest in joining flag football,” Stovall said. “Last year, we were only provided an opportunity to have one team per campus. I don’t know what the logistics will be like for those schools that have more than enough players for two teams.”
Even with only one team, the Pinkston Lady Vikings already have made history. In addition to winning the division championship, they advanced to the Dallas Cowboys Girls Flag Football Championship tournament. Although Pinkston fell short of that title, Stovall and her players are more determined than ever to reach the top.
“We want to win the Dallas Cowboys Girls Flag Football Championship,” she said. “We want to get a spot where we can go in and play against other teams across the state of Texas.”
The strong partnership with the Dallas Cowboys supports achieving these ambitious goals, as they provide uniforms, equipment, and even visibility for college scouts. As a result, flag football is opening doors for young women.
“The popularity of girls flag football is so big that now a lot of colleges are offering scholarships,” Stovall noted.
The sport’s momentum suggests a massive future in athletics and, according to Stovall, it may soon become a UIL-sanctioned sport in Texas and even an Olympic event.
“This is the start of something new, and I know the growth is going to be there,” Stovall said. “But the most important thing is the legacy we leave right here.”
After two decades in the district, Stovall’s loyalty to Pinkston and its community remains steadfast. In addition to flag football, Stovall is also the head coach of the girls’ basketball team and supports other sports at the school, including soccer, football, swimming, and wrestling.
“Pinkston is a special place. We are a hidden gem,” Stovall said. “I just want to make sure I’ve had a lasting impact and touched the lives of the kids and helped guide and mentor them. That’s what I want to be remembered as.”
