Did you know the U.S. has a national flag football team? Last week, 120 players competed in trials at the United States Performance Center on the campus of UNC Charlotte in an attempt to make the team.
The U.S. national team will select 18 men and 18 women from the Friday afternoon trials in Charlotte to make the U.S. National Team Training Camp roster. After the roster is trimmed to 12 athletes, they’ll compete in international friendlies. The women’s team will also compete in the 2025 World Games in China.
Flag football has grown in popularity among boys and girls ages 6 to 12, with a 58% increase in participation from 2014 through 2023. U.S. national team veteran quarterback Vanita Krouch said learning to work with the new batch of talent will be a challenge, despite being with the team since 2016.
“It's probably intimidating coming to somebody who's been on the team since 2016 — and it's a fun intimidation because I'm the one who's been on — but it's also a challenge for me because you're learning new players, personnel, what's your speed, what's your strength, how do you want to play on defense,” Krouch said.
“So it's always a fun challenge, aside from just field work. There's a lot of chemistry work that needs to be done.”
Flag football has also created opportunities from a variety of backgrounds. Rusher Michael Better, a former Air Force sergeant, discovered the sport during his time serving.
Better was injured during a pickup football game in 2023 and initially was unsure if he would be able to return to the field. After his recovery, he was able to play again and was part of the 2024 roster and won a gold medal at the IFAF Men's Flag Football World Championships. While Better is hoping to make the roster again, he said it would also be an inspiration for others.
And there's a bigger prize on the horizon: For the first time, flag football will be included in the 2028 Olympics.
“I mean, it would be amazing, right?” Better said. “Not just for me — but for setting the tone for other people to aspire to do the same thing and have those same dreams. looking at where a flag has come, to the maturation of where it's going to be in the Olympics is just amazing to see, amazing to be a part of.”
