Five Burlingame High flag football players spent Aug. 15 at Levi's Stadium as guests of the San Francisco 49ers, attending the organization's annual T.H.I.N.K. Gold! Conference alongside female student-athletes from across the region.

Teeda Tech, Peyton Igushi, Charlotte Dunne, Violet Leslie and Siena Pariani represented the Panthers at the daylong event. Hosted annually by 49ers PREP, the conference focuses on helping female high school student-athletes reach their potential in athletics, academics and community engagement. T.H.I.N.K. stands for Training, Health, Inspiration, Nutrition and Knowledge.

The conference pairs high school flag football players with mentors and professionals in the sport, providing what the 49ers Foundation describes as a day focused on helping young women reach their potential in athletics, academics and community engagement. The San Mateo Union High School District highlighted the five players' attendance in an Instagram post on Aug. 22, calling it an annual event that empowers female high school student-athletes through hands-on experiences and professional insights.

The invitation marks a milestone for a program still in its early years. The SMUHSD Board of Trustees approved girls flag football as a district sport at its April 6, 2023, meeting, and Burlingame High played its first game that fall. The Panthers fell to Woodside 34-20 at San Mateo High School on Sept. 13, 2023, in the program's inaugural contest.

The 2026 season will be Burlingame's fourth in the sport. Denise Burch posted the news of the players' conference attendance on the Burlingame Athletics website on Aug. 23.

The Panthers open their fall schedule at home against Menlo-Atherton on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m. They travel to Mills on Monday, Sept. 14, then host Woodside on Wednesday, Sept. 16, Carlmont on Monday, Sept. 21, and Hillsdale on Monday, Sept. 28, all at 4:30 p.m. Burlingame also visits Aragon on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and San Mateo on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m.