LA Fanatics Flag Football Classic with IFAF Officials, NFL Legends & Olympic 2028 Qualifiers
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Try the “Flag Frenzy” drill: put one ball‐carrier in the middle of a circle and have teammates rush in to yank a flag within three seconds. It’s a fun way to teach low hips, quick hands, and get everyone laughing while mastering that chase.
Postgame Parents: Ask your flag footballer to time their sprint off the snap like a starting pistol. When they launch straight for the QB’s hips instead of lunging at shadows, those flags will drop faster than popcorn at a movie!
Players Snap: Pop in 3×8 Bulgarian split squats per leg after your warm-up—skip them and your cuts will be about as sharp as a butter knife.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 IFAF officials to take charge of Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is supplying six experienced game officials to oversee the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at LA’s BMO Stadium, the venue set for flag football’s Olympic debut in 2028. Featuring NFL legends and the reigning IFAF world champion USA team in a round-robin format, the event underscores the sport’s global growth, gender-balanced officiating, and its rising profile ahead of LA28 qualifiers.
“We’re excited to support the Fanatics Flag Football Classic – a blockbuster that reflects the undeniable excitement building among athletes, fans, brands and media as flag football edges ever closer to LA28.”
🌍 Regional Roundup
Ohio: Five Medina County schools have formed club teams in the newly created Northern Ohio Girls Flag Football League, with equipment and officials provided by the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, and will play a 10-game conference schedule leading into regional and state championship tournaments in May.
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Ottawa, Kan.: Ottawa University promoted longtime assistant Abby Brown to lead its women’s flag football program for the 2026–27 season; Brown is a four-time NAIA national champion and has coordinated growth, funding, and league operations for over 80 high school programs across Kansas and Missouri.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Alexis DeGroat – Senior quarterback and multi-position standout for Oneida High School Express. She led Oneida to back-to-back sectional titles, threw for over 1,100 yards and 21 touchdowns last season, and has committed to Roberts Wesleyan’s inaugural college flag football program.
“It felt like a really good community for me,” DeGroat told the Daily Sentinel. “The coach [Wesleyan head coach Paul Fricano] is absolutely fantastic. He stood out more than any of the other coaches. He wants to win, which I love because I’m really competitive and want to win.”
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Ohio Girls League Launch
Girls flag football kicks off this Friday in Medina County with five club teams—Black River, Cloverleaf, Medina, Medina Christian and Highland—joining the Northern Ohio Girls Flag Football League. Sponsored equipment and officials by the Browns keep overhead low, and Ohio becomes one of 17 states with OHSAA-sanctioned programs, as all 50 states now offer the sport in some form ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut.
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🏈 Roberts Wesleyan Flag Football Commit
Oneida High senior Alexis DeGroat signed with Roberts Wesleyan to play collegiate flag football, marking one of the area’s first college commitments in the sport. Local participation doubled this season from seven to 14 high school teams, and nearby colleges like Hartwick and several SUNY schools are adding programs, boosting the sport’s regional footprint.
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📈 SXSW Shows Flag Football Expansion
Flag football experts including NFL VP Stephanie Kwok, world champion Diana Flores and Drew Brees outlined growth at an SXSW panel, highlighting 38 states with high school programs and the NFL’s $32 million grassroots investment. They also discussed plans for an NCAA championship, a pro league and the sport’s push toward global reach ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Tom Brady said he “would never say never” to suiting up for Team USA in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, though he views a coaching or advisory role as more likely.
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Patrick Mahomes revealed he “definitely” wants to play when flag football debuts at the LA 2028 Games, underlining the growing star interest in the Olympic sport.
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The inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21 will feature three 12-player teams—including reigning IFAF world champion Team USA—competing in round-robin 5-on-5 matches under Olympic-style rules.
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NFL legends, global flag specialists and entertainers like Logan Paul, IShowSpeed and boxing champ Terrence “Bud” Crawford will headline a star-studded tournament at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
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Tom Brady dropped by “The Tonight Show” to teach Jimmy Fallon how to throw a perfect spiral, mixing nostalgia and humor ahead of his Friday flag football debut.
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Brady playfully texted Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels that he “loves beating Heisman Trophy winners” as he prepares to co-captain Founders FFC against Wildcats FFC.
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LIU unveiled its first women’s flag football team this week, marking a new chapter in the sport’s collegiate expansion and Title IX growth.
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JPMorgan Chase formed an athlete council featuring Tom Brady, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and other elite stars to advise on financial decisions and NIL strategies.
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Comedians Kevin Hart and Druski will host live FOX, FOX One and Tubi coverage of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, injecting extra entertainment into the March 21 tournament.
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Hall of Famers Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald were tapped as on-site commissioners for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, lending legendary prestige to the inaugural event.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“To be number one, you have to train like you’re number two.” — Maurice Greene
