2026 NFL Flag Africa Championship Nairobi: Full Schedule, Teams & LA28 Olympic Qualification
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Kick off warm-ups with a 30-second bear-crawl relay—partners race across the turf on hands and feet, blasting full-body power, cardio, and giggles so they hit every session stronger and more fired-up before a ball is even snapped.
Postgame Parents: Suggest your child paint small “pep stones” with uplifting (or hilariously goofy) words like “kaboom!” then trade them with teammates after practice. These pocket-sized badges boost squad spirit, spark laughs, and remind everyone they’ve got each other’s back—even when you’re still juggling carpool chaos.
Players Snap: Finish your warm-up with 30 seconds of barefoot pogo hops on grass—build those ankle stabilizers so you spring off the line like a kangaroo instead of tripping over your own feet.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 2026 NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship in Nairobi: Full schedule and teams
Flag football national teams from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa will meet in Nairobi from July 9–11 for the third NFL Flag Africa Continental Championship, serving as a key Olympic qualification pathway for the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The tournament also launches a dedicated women’s national team division and U13 youth programme, while NFL Africa scouts showcase emerging talent under organisers NFL, IFAF and KFAF.
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🌍 Regional Roundup
Vermont: The Vermont Principals’ Association is recruiting member schools to launch girls high school flag football as a club sport this year, with the goal of moving to varsity status once participation thresholds are met. The initiative, supported by the New England Patriots, aims to attract new female athletes without significantly impacting other spring sports.
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Paducah, Kentucky: Former NFL player Bryan Hall is hosting an NFL Flag Football Clinic on July 18 to kickstart a high school girls flag football league in western Kentucky, aligning with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s recent sanctioning of the sport. The LifePrep Academy Foundation plans ongoing clinics and a fall league to prepare local teams for future school-based competition.
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Caldwell, New Jersey: Caldwell University has appointed long-time Paramus High School coach Ted Evans as the inaugural head coach of its women’s flag football program, set to begin competition in Spring 2027. Evans brings a track record of building a high school flag program and affiliations with national events to the new collegiate team.
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Abilene, Texas: Hardin-Simmons University filed plans for a $1 million facility upgrade to support its new women’s flag football varsity team launching in Spring 2027, including a 60-locker visiting team room at Shelton Stadium. The program, coached by Darin Koenig, will compete in the NCAA DIII American Southwest Conference alongside seven other Texas institutions.
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Honolulu, Hawaii: Hawaii Pacific University hired Kanda Korver as its first women’s flag football head coach, marking the state’s first collegiate program in the sport for the 2026-27 season. Korver plans to emphasize foundational skill development and mental training to foster local talent and position Hawaii as a growing hub for flag football.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Aysia Jones-Robinson – Junior Quarterback, Clarksburg High School Coyotes. She’s led her team to multiple shutouts and two state championships, earning a coveted spot as one of just 20 girls selected for the U.S. Army Bowl and setting her sights on the 2028 Olympics.
“Aysia is one of the most talented athletes I’ve had the opportunity to coach, and I’m incredibly proud to see her recognized as a U.S. Army All-American,” said Coach Isaac Williams.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Jaguars PREP Kickoff
The Jaguars’ monthlong PREP initiative will prepare 11 NFL Flag teams—seven Jaguars Elite squads and four regional champions—from ages 8U through high school for the NFL Flag Championships in Westfield, Ind. With over 1,000 youth participants across North Florida and Southeast Georgia, the program drives talent development, accessibility, and character building through coaching, resource access, and community engagement.
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🔥 Olympic Q-Series Spotlight
Orlando’s Camping World Stadium will host June 2028’s final international flag football Olympic qualifiers, joining Tokyo, Shanghai, and Montreal as part of the Q-Series. The event will decide three men’s and women’s teams for the new Olympic flag football competition, amplifying global visibility and competitive opportunities ahead of the LA Games.
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🔥 Pylon Girls Circuit Launch
The Pylon Girls Flag Tour introduces a national 15U and 18U off-season circuit aligned with college scouting, NIL education, and verified film capture to double playing opportunities without conflicting with school seasons. By including on-site college coaches, female official certification, and enhanced recruiting exposure, the series accelerates growth in girls’ flag football across multiple states.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
LA28’s Day of Sport went national on June 23 across 180 sites and drew a record 13,000 young athletes for flag football, soccer, basketball and more.
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Winston-Salem State’s new head coach Tory Woodbury will join DB Chancellor Smith and WR/kick returner Jayden Grimes at the 2026 CIAA Football Media Day in Durham on July 15 to preview the Rams’ season.
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IFAF Media confirmed on X that flag football’s Road to LA28 Olympic qualification will run through Montreal (June 1–4, 2028) and Orlando (June 8–11, 2028).
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The IOC announced that each stop of the expanded Olympic Q-Series ahead of LA28 in Montreal and Orlando will host flag football alongside beach volleyball, climbing and park skateboarding.
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Kaitlyn Richards and Myla Ramos secured gold with USA Football’s 15U Girls’ National Team at the Junior International Cup, while coach Jesse Marrow led the 15U Boys as Jets Flag Elite representatives to gold.
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Sabino High School tapped former Arizona club offensive coordinator Abbey Rustand as its inaugural flag football head coach for the program’s debut this fall.
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Clarence senior QB Olivia Bell repeated as the All-Bee Flag Football Offensive Player of the Year after throwing 52 touchdown passes and rushing for 10 more this season.
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Bills QB Josh Allen tweeted that winning an Olympic gold medal in flag football “is a dream I’ve always had” and he’d “sign up tomorrow” if given the chance.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat.”
— Michael Jordan
