2026 Youth Flag Football World Championships at Walt Disney World Resort with ESPN+ Coverage
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Have your athletes strap on a backpack loaded with a few textbooks during lunges or incline push-ups—it turns any bodyweight drill into a mini strength session (and maybe finally clears the clutter off your kid’s desk!).
Postgame Parents: Turn idle living-room time into a two-minute broad-jump challenge: have your kid blast back-to-back hops while you count and cheer—no fancy gear required, just explosive leg power gains and plenty of giggles with each “moon jump.”
Players Snap: End practice with a 30-second hollow-body hold—build a rock-solid core or watch your cuts flop like a busted canoe.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 Unrivaled Sports to Host 2026 Youth Flag Football World Championships at Walt Disney World Resort
The 2026 Youth Flag Football World Championships presented by Under Armour will bring nearly 1,000 teams and 10,000 athletes from seven countries to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, showcasing the rapid global rise of youth flag football and advancing its competitive footprint with live ESPN+ coverage. This marquee event underlines Unrivaled Sports’ strategy to connect local and regional play to an international stage and highlights Under Armour’s role in professionalizing grassroots flag football.
“Flag football has unprecedented momentum and the Youth Flag Football World Championships are a powerful example of how quickly the sport is growing at the youth level,” said Jim Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer, Field Sports, Unrivaled Sports.
🌍 Regional Roundup
Ohio: Girls flag football becomes an official varsity sport in Ohio this spring with participation surging from fewer than 20 teams in the early 2020s to around 80 last season as schools like Badin High School leverage NFL resources to build programs. The sport’s inclusion in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program creates pathways to college teams and scholarships.
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Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward & Palm Beach): More than 60 high school girls’ flag football programs convened at the Miami Dolphins’ 2026 Girls Flag High School Media Day, receiving NCAA, NIL, leadership, and mental health workshops to support academic and athletic pathways. The event highlights growing scholarship opportunities as flag football moves toward NCAA championship status and Olympic inclusion.
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Tennessee: Since launching its girls flag football program in 2021, the Tennessee Titans have supported the expansion to more than 160 teams statewide, hosting clinics where NFL staff and players provide skill training and career guidance. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots growth and establish clear pathways from high school leagues to higher levels of competition.
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Washington, D.C.: The Washington Commanders hosted a collegiate exhibition featuring University of Virginia vs. Marymount University to spotlight flag football’s designation as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women and encourage program development across Divisions I, II, and III. The event underscores growing institutional support as the sport seeks full NCAA championship status.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Will Naboa – Quality Control Coach, USA Football 15U Junior National Team and Head Coach of Campbell High School Lady Sabers. He’s been appointed to USA Football’s 15U boys junior national team staff aiming for gold at the Junior International Cup while leading Campbell to defend its state title.
“I know it’s the gold standard, you want to go and compete at the junior and International Cup and win gold. That’s definitely the focus, but just show them how to have fun, do things the right way,” Naboa said.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Ohio Varsity Launch
Girls flag football becomes an official varsity sport in Ohio this spring, with Badin High School leading as the reigning state champions and a model program. Supported by the Bengals and Browns, team numbers jumped from fewer than 20 in the early 2020s to around 80 last season, with projections of 160 varsity teams soon. The sport’s inclusion in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program paves the way for college teams, scholarships and national competition.
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🔥 Dolphins Media Day
More than 60 South Florida high school girls flag programs gathered at Hard Rock Stadium for the 2026 Girls Flag Football Media Day, featuring NCAA and NIL workshops, recruiting pathways and leadership training. With women’s flag football now an NCAA emerging sport, the event underscores pro-franchise investment in grassroots development and clear routes to college scholarships and national visibility. Athletes also received social-media strategy and mental-health sessions, aligning the sport with 2028 Olympic ambitions.
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🔥 Titans Statewide Growth
Since launching its girls flag football program in 2021, the Tennessee Titans have grown to support over 160 teams statewide, partnering with schools and community groups to build infrastructure. Clinics at Nissan Stadium cover fundamentals, sportsmanship and leadership, while providing coaching resources, equipment and facility access. This franchise-led model has accelerated participation and positioned Tennessee’s program among the nation’s largest girls flag football ecosystems.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
WCHS Lady Pioneers announce a 16-game 2026 flag football schedule with eight home matchups, eight away games, and a Senior Night on April 21 under coach Paul Martin.
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Striveon releases free, downloadable 45- and 60-minute flag football practice-plan templates featuring age-specific guidelines, drill tables, and timed schedules for warm-ups, skill stations, play installs, and scrimmages.
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At Jacksonville’s High School 9:12 Spring Sports Media Day, flag football standouts like Atlantic Coast’s Kamiyah Malone and Aniya George joined baseball, softball, and track athletes for team photos and interviews.
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A photo gallery offers fans an inside look at the action-packed 2026 NIAA 4A and 5A State Championship flag football matchups hosted at the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium.
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The Washington Commanders hosted a collegiate flag football exhibition game between UVA and Marymount, spotlighting the sport’s designation as an NCAA Emerging Sport for women across Divisions I–III.
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Tacoma-area girls flag football standings through Feb. 13 show Lincoln High undefeated at 10–0 in league play (19–2 overall) with Silas (8–2) and Mount Tahoma (9–3) close behind in WIAA 3A competition.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“I’ve never scored a goal in my life without getting a pass from someone else.”
— Abby Wambach
