NFL Flag Football Santorini Festival: LA Chargers and US Women’s Program Growth
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Kick off practice with a “praise relay”—have one player call out a teammate’s biggest strength, toss them the ball, and repeat until everyone’s hyped; trust me, laughter and props build a bond tighter than your cleat laces.
Postgame Parents: At dinner or in the car, teach your flag footballer the “empty-side” trick: if the defense stacks two players left, the right side is their open runway—have them shout “Empty!” before every snap so they learn to slice through soft spots instead of crashing into traffic.
Players Snap: If your mind starts making excuses, smack it with a quick “Let’s go!” and attack the next play like it owes you lunch—self-doubt doesn’t get a seat on this team.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 LA Chargers take NFL Flag Football to Santorini
The Los Angeles Chargers have secured international marketing rights for the NFL in Greece and will host the country’s first NFL Flag Football event on Santorini from October 10–12. This three-day festival, in collaboration with local authorities and featuring coaching staff and former NFL players, aims to promote flag football ahead of its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. By engaging youth aged 11 and up, the Chargers hope to inspire a new generation and expand American football’s global footprint.
“This way the Chargers will not only promote the sport on global level, but will also inspire a new generation of athletes, while creating a safe, educative and pleasant program for the Santorini youth, starting from the age of 11.”
🌍 Regional Roundup
Mississippi: Millsaps College will launch a club women’s flag football team in spring 2026, transitioning to varsity status in 2027 to become the first collegiate women’s flag program in the state. The program was initiated to expand opportunities for women athletes after flag football gained official high school status in Mississippi.
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Arizona: The state’s high school flag football landscape has grown to four conferences (6A–3A) in its third year as a sanctioned sport, with the Hamilton Huskies aiming to defend their 6A title despite significant roster turnover. Coaches are integrating new transfers and underclassmen to maintain the program’s competitive edge at the grassroots level.
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Utah: The Las Vegas Raiders partnered with the Utah High School Girls Football Association to launch the state’s inaugural girls flag football season, including six regular-season games and a $100,000 Nike gear donation for team uniforms. The initiative aims to secure varsity sport sanctioning and broaden participation opportunities for female student-athletes.
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Oklahoma: Former NFL receiver Donald Driver donated $50,000 to support girls flag football programs at 11 Tulsa-area high schools, funding uniforms, protective headgear and warm-up gear for the second season of the regional league. The investment underscores a growing commitment to equitable funding and resources for female athletes in Green Country.
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California: Since the CIF sanctioned girls flag football in 2023, Santa Barbara County high schools like Dos Pueblos, San Marcos and Santa Barbara have launched teams, with local leagues such as Santa Barbara Friday Night Lights developing players from youth through varsity levels. Carpinteria High School is exploring program launch despite budget and coaching constraints to expand fall sports offerings.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Nausicaa Dell’Orto – NFL and IFAF Global Ambassador, Founder of Italy’s first women’s flag football team. She transformed her passion for American football into a movement that defied stereotypes and paved the way for Italy’s national women’s team, playing a key role in flag football’s inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.
“For us, it’s the Northern Star we never had,” Dell’Orto says.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 First Women’s College Program in Mississippi
Millsaps College will launch a club women’s flag football team in spring 2026 and transition to varsity status in 2027, becoming the first program of its kind in Mississippi. Athletic director Justin LeBlanc and college president Frank Neville have begun hiring coaches, mapping out a regional schedule, and securing conference affiliation, with senior athlete Elyse Warren named team ambassador as the sport gains momentum ahead of Olympic inclusion.
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🌍 NFL Flag Arrives in Santorini
The Los Angeles Chargers will host Greece’s first NFL Flag Football event in Santorini Oct. 10–12, featuring youth clinics and exhibition games led by Chargers alumni and current players. Backed by local authorities through the Santorini Experience, the festival is part of the NFL’s global growth strategy and aims to build sustainable grassroots leagues ahead of the sport’s 2028 Olympic debut.
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🏈 Raiders Kick Off Utah Girls Flag Season
Partnering with the Utah High School Girls Football Association, the Las Vegas Raiders have launched the state’s first sanctioned high school girls flag football season, with a six-game regular slate and playoffs running through early November. The Raiders’ $100,000 investment in Nike gear for uniforms and equipment underscores the franchise’s commitment to youth development and sets the stage for statewide varsity recognition as part of the sport’s surge toward the 2028 Olympics.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Nineteen national teams, including world No. 4 Austria and defending champion Great Britain, kick off the IFAF European Women’s Flag Football Championship on Sept. 25 in Choisy-le-Roi, France, vying for continental titles and Olympic qualification spots.
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Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady denied he’s set to earn $75 million for next March’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia, calling the reported compensation “not accurate.”
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La Cañada High’s girls flag football team held unbeaten San Marino scoreless until the fourth quarter and secured a 19-12 win to remain the Rio Hondo League’s only perfect squad.
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Fred Robledo’s latest San Gabriel Valley Tribune rankings place San Dimas, Bishop Amat and Bonita atop the SGV girls flag football scene, with La Habra, South Hills and Sonora rounding out the region’s powerhouses.
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In his program’s inaugural season, Poudre School District coach Aaron Waters earned CHSAA/Denver Broncos Coach of the Week honors after guiding the first-year Stars to a 6-1 start and upsets of previously unbeaten teams.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“Success isn’t permanent and failure isn’t fatal.” — Mike Ditka
