Emerging Girls Flag Football in Central Oregon Seeks OSAA Sanctioning and Championship
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Wrap a rope (or a line of cones) on the ground and end practice with a 30-second side-to-side hop challenge—last one standing earns the title “Agility Ninja,” fires up hips and ankles, and always delivers at least one epic wobble.
Postgame Parents: While they savor that last spoonful of cereal, challenge your kid to stand and sit without using their hands—those sneaky sit-to-stand reps crank up leg power for faster sprints (and you’ll both get a giggle at the wobble!).
Players Snap: Time your 20-yard dash once a week and write it down—if you’re not chopping off tenths, you’re just jogging in circles calling it “training.”
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 Girls flag football grows in Central Oregon, seeks sanctioning
Girls flag football in Central Oregon expanded rapidly during its second year as an OSAA emerging activity, growing to six local teams—Crook County, Summit, Mountain View, Central Christian, Bend High and Madras—within a seven-team conference and 61 teams statewide. This surge brings the sport closer to full OSAA sanctioning and highlights the establishment of official score tracking and a postseason championship, reflecting its transition from club play to a formally recognized high school sport.
“It has been a rapid growth across the state,” said Crook County coach Brad Kudlac.
🌍 Regional Roundup
New York (Columbia and Greene Counties): Three area high schools—Ichabod Crane, Catskill and Hudson—introduced varsity girls’ flag football this spring, contributing to Section 2’s growth from 16 to 23 teams in 2026 under coaches with extensive playing and teaching backgrounds.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Sabrina Ootsburg – Aspiring professional flag football player. A former Division I track and field standout, she relocated from Tennessee to Texas to train with U.S. women’s flag team members and is poised to shine as the sport prepares for its Olympic and pro league debut.
“It was only a matter of time,” said Sabrina Ootsburg, “to have an entity like the NFL behind you, you know that flag is going to work because you have their backing in your corner.”
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Star-Studded Flag League Investment
Serena Williams and Russell Wilson join Tiger Woods–backed TMRW Sports and other NFL stars in launching a co-ed professional flag football league ahead of flag football’s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. The NFL will back infrastructure and cutting-edge tech to engage its estimated 20 million players across 100 countries.
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🔥 NFL’s Global Flag Football Push
At the 2026 owners meeting, the NFL approved a new flag football league to drive international growth and spotlight the sport at the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Commissioner Roger Goodell emphasized flag football’s accessibility as a key tool for expanding the league’s footprint and engaging diverse communities worldwide.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Alvin Kamara showcased his catching, running and even throwing skills during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at L.A.’s BMO Stadium.
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Olympic champion Dominique Dawes took to LinkedIn to cheer on her kids, hail the NFL–flag football partnership and celebrate the sport’s road to a 2028 LA Games debut after nailing her Heisman pose on her 28th camera shot.
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CFL stars Tyson and Jalen Philpot, along with B.C. Lions QB Nathan Rourke, are sharpening their flag-pulling and route-running chops to earn roster spots for Canada’s bid at flag football’s 2028 Olympic debut.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“Good is not good, when better is expected.”
— Vince Lombardi
