Avon Lake Joins Expanded Cleveland Browns Girls Flag Football League in 2026 Season
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Five minutes before you load up, ring a little bell for a “gear huddle”—players drop their bags, line up, and you call out “flags, cleats, mouthguard, water”; anyone missing gear owes the coach 10 jumping jacks, and you’ve just turned prep into a quick, giggle-filled team ritual.
Postgame Parents: Stuck in the carpool line? Have your kid hop out, loop their arms under the seatbelt for support, drop into a half-squat and monster-walk side to side for 30 seconds—those sneaky hip-power reps turn dead time into explosive-strength gold (and might earn you both some curious honks!).
Players Snap: Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and stash it in your bag until halftime—losing focus for a text is like handing defenders free flags.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 Avon Lake prepares to join expanded Browns girls flag football league
The Cleveland Browns Girls High School Flag Football League will expand to 121 schools for the 2026 season, adding 62 programs including Avon Lake after student and community-driven efforts. Presented by Gatorade and in association with Bridgestone, the league’s growth underscores increasing opportunities and competitive development in girls flag football across Ohio.
“We were really, really happy,” Gracianna said.
🌍 Regional Roundup
Pennsylvania: Slippery Rock University is set to launch a women’s flag football program for the 2027–28 season alongside the reinstatement of men’s wrestling, with a $2 million fundraising campaign and alumni matching gifts covering initial costs. The athletic department plans to hire coaches in spring 2025 to begin recruitment ahead of PIAA-sanctioned competition.
🔗 Read More
Virginia: Bridgewater College will introduce women’s flag football as its 26th varsity sport in the 2026–27 academic year, positioning itself early to attract recruits and capitalize on the sport’s growing NCAA profile. A head coach search is underway to build the program’s roster and structure from the ground up.
🔗 Read More
Westford, Massachusetts: Nike’s Regional Camp & Jamboree will bring week-long flag football training and a 7-on-7 tournament to Concord Academy for athletes entering grades 1–6, featuring instruction from college and high school coaches under NFL Flag guidelines. The program seeks to boost youth participation through skill development, daily competitions, and formalized team play.
🔗 Read More
⭐ Player Spotlight
Abbey Bensman – Senior Quarterback, Pope Flag Football Team. She led a dramatic fourth-quarter rally in the Division 5 State Championship, throwing the go-ahead touchdown and two-point conversion to secure Pope’s third consecutive state title despite battling illness the night before.
“Much better, especially after the win,” shared Bensman.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Asia Performance Partnership
Gelteq Limited partners with the Hong Kong Flag Football Program to integrate its gel-based hydration and performance solutions across the region’s men’s, women’s, and youth national teams. This initiative follows a $1.3 million China sales agreement and underscores rising sports science investment in Southeast Asia ahead of flag football’s 2028 Olympic debut.
🔗 Read More
🔥 NFL Pro Bowl Flag Football Coaches
NFL legends Steve Young and Jerry Rice will coach the AFC and NFC flag football teams at the 2026 Pro Bowl in San Francisco, marking the sport’s first appearance during Super Bowl week. Young’s prior flag football coaching experience and the event’s move from Orlando highlight the NFL’s push to elevate flag football on a national stage.
🔗 Read More
🔥 Global Flag Football Gaming
World Championship Flag Football (WCFF), created by UFL offensive coordinator A.J. Smith, launches as the first 5v5 multiplayer mobile game in over 170 countries, enabling players to design and run their own plays. This digital platform targets global expansion by blending strategic gameplay with flagship mobile entertainment to engage new flag football audiences.
🔗 Read More
⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Gelteq Ltd. has partnered with the Hong Kong Flag Football Program to integrate its gel-based hydration and performance formulations into men’s, women’s and youth national team training.
👉 Read Full Article
UFL offensive coordinator A.J. Smith has released WCFF, the first-ever mobile multiplayer flag football video game offering 5v5 play and a mix of chess-and-battleship-style strategy.
👉 Read Full Article
Nike Football Camps will host summer Regional Flag Football Camps & Jamborees in Littleton, MA, featuring week-long training, 7v7 tournaments, and instruction from top high school and college coaches.
👉 Read Full Article
Bridgewater College announced it will launch women’s flag football as its 26th varsity sport ahead of the 2026–27 season to tap into the sport’s surging national momentum.
👉 Read Full Article
Hall of Famer Steve Young and Jerry Rice have been named AFC and NFC head coaches, respectively, for the first-ever Super Bowl–week Pro Bowl flag football game in San Francisco.
👉 Read Full Article
Avon Lake High School will join the Cleveland Browns Girls HS Flag Football League in 2026, expanding the Gatorade- and Bridgestone-backed program to 121 Ohio schools.
👉 Read Full Article
Whitewater High became the first county team to reach a state flag football final but fell 31–6 to North Oconee after a 44–0 playoff opener and a defensive semifinal shutout.
👉 Read Full Article
Blessed Trinity edged Milton 21–20 in double overtime to win the Georgia High School Division 4 state flag football championship.
👉 Read Full Article
Pope High’s Lady Indians captured their third consecutive GHSA state flag football title with a thrilling 14–13 victory over McEachern on a last-second two-point conversion.
👉 Read Full Article
Winston-Salem State University’s women’s flag football squad held its first noted spring practice at Civitan Park, marking continued growth for the program.
👉 Read Full Article
🏁 Final Whistle
“I don’t count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting, because they’re the only ones that count.”
— Dan Gable
