2026 NFL FLAG Girls Showcase Rosters: Top 32 High School All-Star Athletes
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Turn each water break into a 20-second plank contest—your players get a sneaky core blast without blowing up practice time, and you get bonus sideline entertainment watching them wobble like jelly.
Postgame Parents: During bedtime stories, turn your kid into a one-legged flamingo every time the hero’s name pops up—switch sides each chapter to sneak in balance and ankle-strength training between the plot twists.
Players Snap: When your head’s stuck on last week’s fumble, change the channel. Pick a power word like “attack,” whisper it in the huddle, and blitz the next play guilt-free.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 NFL FLAG Girls High School Showcase rosters revealed for 2026 game
The NFL FLAG Girls High School Showcase rosters for Year 2 have been revealed, featuring 32 top high school athletes from across the country divided into AFC and NFC all-star teams set to clash on February 3, 2026, in Santa Clara. This high-profile showcase, part of the Pro Bowl festivities and airing on ESPN, underscores the sport’s explosive growth and the NFL’s commitment to elevating girls’ flag football at the national level. Selection involved input from USA TODAY Sports affiliates, reflecting a rigorous process amid expanding state participation.
“The Selection Committee reviewed an impressive number of highly qualified athletes submitted by Clubs. The tremendous growth of girls’ high school flag football nationwide, combined with the addition of piloting states this year, expanded the candidate pool significantly.”
🌍 Regional Roundup
Polk County, Georgia: Rockmart High School’s inaugural girls flag football team finished 3–14 in its first season while securing a playoff berth, and Cedartown High’s program went 0–10 as both schools gained valuable experience and set foundations for future growth. Several Rockmart players earned All-Area recognition and the majority of the roster returns, positioning the programs for continued expansion in 2026.
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Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association appointed Mark Byers as executive director effective January 1, recognizing his role in making girls flag football an official PIAA sport and his long tenure supporting student-athlete programs. Byers succeeds Bob Lombardi and will continue overseeing championships across multiple sports while advancing opportunities for female athletes.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Karisma Mendez – Infielder (Softball) & Quarterback (Flag Football), Burroughs High School Bears. A two-sport standout, Mendez has shined on the softball diamond for three years and broke new ground as quarterback for Burroughs’ inaugural girls’ flag football team, earning selection to Team Mexico in the Friendship Bowl.
“Karisma is such a fantastic person. She took to girls’ flag football like a bird to flight,” said Burroughs AD and flag football coach Keith Knoop.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Keystone State Leadership Shift
Mark Byers, with over 25 years at the PIAA, will become executive director on January 1, succeeding Bob Lombardi. He played a key role in securing official sanctioning for girls’ flag football in Pennsylvania, marking a significant expansion of the sport for female student-athletes.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Rockmart’s first-year flag football campaign saw Camari Peek earn All-Area First Team offense and Second Team defense honors.
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Addi Albert anchored Rockmart’s defense throughout the Lady Jackets’ debut flag football season and secured All-Area First Team defense recognition.
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Rookies Madi Sanders, Ny’Asia Darden, and Kayleigh Mitchell all grabbed All-Area Honorable Mentions as key contributors in Rockmart’s maiden flag football season.
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Former PIAA COO Mark Byers was named executive director after helping secure official sanctioning for girls’ wrestling and flag football in Pennsylvania high schools.
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Over a 25-year career with the PIAA, Mark Byers directed championships across multiple sports, from cross country and soccer to track & field and baseball.
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Two-sport star Karisma Mendez credits detailed mental visualization of the turf feel and dugout sounds for her flag football and softball success at Burroughs.
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Karisma Mendez hit her first high-school home run in a pre-season tune-up against Notre Dame, marking a major personal milestone for the Burroughs standout.
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While quarterbacking Burroughs’ inaugural girls flag football squad, Karisma Mendez also helped the softball team win back-to-back Pacific League titles.
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The NFL FLAG Year 2 Girls Showcase selection committee navigated an expanded candidate pool by adding piloting states to its nomination process.
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The NFL FLAG–USA TODAY Sports partnership behind the 2024 Super 25 flag football rankings continues to amplify the sport through marquee events like the Pro Bowl showcase.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“My motto was always to keep swinging.”
— Hank Aaron
