In the wake of flag football becoming an Olympic sport for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Team USA Football hosted flag football tournaments at Dignity Health Sports Park.
“We’re on the precipice of what they call the next four-year quadrennium in the Olympic movement,” said USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck. “Flag really is new to an elite development pathway.”
The USA 15U and 17U national teams battled in the Junior International Cup, where they competed against Japan, Mexico, Panama, and Canada.
There was also a Select Bowl where teams created by USA football battled each other. The organization picked players from open camps throughout the country to create 12U and 14U boys and girls, 16U girls, and 20U women’s teams.
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“We have four teams in each of those age groups, they’re competing against each other,” said USA Football managing director of high performance in national teams Eric Mayes. “It’s really an opportunity for them to develop in this discipline of five-on-five flag that will be played in the Olympics.”
Another tournament USA Football hosted was “The One,” an open tournament for club teams.
“It allows us from a national team perspective to evaluate some of the best teams and athletes in the country,” Mayes said. “Everything is feeding that pipeline to the national teams.”
While the tournaments prepare domestic talent, it helps players understand the international level of competition.
“It’s amazing how the sport brings a whole bunch of countries together to play the same game, same rules, everybody’s united on one field,” said Sophie Guitron, 16, who plays at wide receiver and linebacker. “I hope to see more countries in the future join the international cup.”
The girl’s 15U team reached the championship game against Mexico; Makena Cook plays wide receiver and safety for the team. She also plays on the girl’s flag football team for Orange Lutheran high school.
“It definitely helps me being able to read the field differently and have different sides,” Cook said. “In high school, we play seven vs seven and this is five vs five, so I get the different perspective of the game and our fields are a lot bigger in high school.”
Eagle Rock high school senior Haylee Weatherspoon earned MVP honors at a talent ID camp that USA Football hosted and she was invited to compete on a Select team.
“I think it’s really an honor to play and be a part of the Select team,” Weatherspoon said. “All the practices and meeting new people has really helped me improve as a player.”
Girls 17U junior national team head coach Matt Hernandez noticed how the squad improved with every game. He is proud of their desire to grow and adapt.
“We know how U.S. teams normally play. A lot of these countries play their own unique style,” Hernandez said. “Us adapting to that was a challenge and now I think being exposed has allowed us to talk about it.”
Ryder Noche, the 2024 NFL Flag Player of the Year, helped the 17U boys team win bronze in the tournament.
“I believe playing international has helped me improve my game, like playing different styles because every country is a little bit different,” Noche said. “Being a part of any Team USA team is a responsibility.”
