logo
USA Football to lead Olympic efforts ahead of Los Angeles Games in 2028

USA Football to lead Olympic efforts ahead of Los Angeles Games in 2028

NBC News17-04-2025
USA Football has officially been certified as the national governing body for American football by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the organization announced Thursday.
Flag football will be showcased for the first time at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. USA Football will be in charge of selecting, training and leading the U.S. men's and women's national teams on the international stage.
'Being formally certified as the National Governing Body is a historic achievement, tremendous honor and incredible responsibility, as flag football's Olympic debut draws closer. We thank the USOPC for its approval and support throughout this process,' USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said in a statement. 'We're also grateful to the NFL and all our partners for their continued support and belief in our mission. This milestone is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our athletes, coaches and entire organization.
'Our commitment to this great game and its growing community has never been stronger. Team USA flag football competing in LA 2028 will inspire athletes worldwide to advance and grow the sport — in both flag and tackle football,' he said.
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, particularly for female players.
According to USA Football, in the 10 years from 2014 through 2023, the number of girls ages 6 to 12 playing the sport increased 222%, to more than 129,300 participants. For ages 6 to 17, more than 230,800 girls played last year.
High school girls flag football is now sanctioned in 14 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. At the college level, the NCAA is exploring flag football as part of its 'Emerging Sports for Women' program.
Team USA's Isabella Geraci, who played college basketball at South Carolina Upstate, said she grew up playing tackle football in high school because flag football wasn't offered as it is today. She cited NCAA scholarships as 'extremely important' for the growth of the game.
'You have these kids out here who can now get college paid for by playing a sport that they love, just like any other college athlete,' she told NBC News. 'It's very well deserved.'
Geraci, along with men's and women's squads from Team USA, is working to be selected for the World Games in Chengdu, China, in August. Next month they will participate in a training camp in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the rosters will be trimmed from 18 to 12 players.
Both teams will look to claim another gold medal after having won first place last year at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships at the Pajulahti Olympic Training Center in Lahti, Finland.
But that's just the immediate goal. Long-term they have their eyes set on the ultimate prize: an Olympic gold medal in 2028.
'It would be the highest honor,' Geraci said. 'As an athlete growing up, that's one thing that you always want to do — represent your country in the Olympics. So to be able to do that for flag football, the first time that it's going to be in [the Games], it would be a surreal experience.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares
Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares

Glasgow Times

time16 minutes ago

  • Glasgow Times

Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares

American businessman Johnson – who is co-owner of the New York Jets – joins chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer as a partner and director of the Eagles, and has also signed the Premier League's Owners' Charter. 'I am honoured and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club,' Johnson told the Eagles website. We are pleased to confirm that Woody Johnson's purchase of Eagle Football's shareholding in the club has now been completed.#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 24, 2025 'It is an organisation with a proud history, tradition, and deep roots in English football in South London, which I came to admire during my time as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. 'Eagles fans have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, passion, and unwavering dedication and I am excited to meet and get to know them. 'I have great respect for Steve Parish and the leadership he has provided over the years. 'I look forward to working with him and the entire ownership group to build on the club's recent successes and help shape an exciting future for Crystal Palace. 'This is more than an investment – it's a commitment to realising the vision for the club, the community, and the culture around Selhurst Park.' Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has welcomed the arrival of Woody Johnson during an 'exciting' time for Crystal Palace (Richard Sellers/PA) Johnson's arrival at Palace comes with the club in dispute with UEFA over which European competition they will play in next season after winning the FA Cup in May. The Eagles were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership, but have submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. UEFA determined that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence in Palace and French club Lyon. Textor said he had agreed to sell his stake in Palace to Johnson, but the move came too late to satisfy UEFA. Parish said: 'At this exciting time for Crystal Palace, we are delighted to be welcoming Woody to the ownership of the football club, and we very much look forward to working alongside him to build on our historic recent success moving forwards.'

Keely Hodgkinson set to make return at Lausanne Diamond League meet in August
Keely Hodgkinson set to make return at Lausanne Diamond League meet in August

Leader Live

time24 minutes ago

  • Leader Live

Keely Hodgkinson set to make return at Lausanne Diamond League meet in August

It is the first competition the 23-year-old has entered since pulling out of two planned starts to her season, June's Stockholm Diamond League meet and the London Athletics Meet earlier this month. Hodgkinson was ruled out of her own inaugural 'Keely Klassic' in February with a hamstring issue, then suffered a setback before Stockholm. Her team has said she plans to arrive at September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 'peak form', aiming for her first world title after finishing second at the last two world championships. The 800 metres in Lausanne will also feature fellow Briton Jemma Reekie, a four-time Diamond League winner, and Hodgkinson's M11 Track Club training partner Georgia Hunter-Bell. Hunter-Bell collected 1500 metres bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and won the 800 metres at the 2025 London Diamond League in a season's-best one minute 56.74 seconds. The 31-year-old shared after her London triumph that she is mulling over the idea of competing in both middle-distances in Tokyo, and may take advice from Dame Kelly Holmes, who famously won both events at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares
Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares

North Wales Chronicle

time31 minutes ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Woody Johnson completes purchase of Crystal Palace shares

American businessman Johnson – who is co-owner of the New York Jets – joins chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer as a partner and director of the Eagles, and has also signed the Premier League's Owners' Charter. 'I am honoured and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club,' Johnson told the Eagles website. We are pleased to confirm that Woody Johnson's purchase of Eagle Football's shareholding in the club has now been completed.#CPFC — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) July 24, 2025 'It is an organisation with a proud history, tradition, and deep roots in English football in South London, which I came to admire during my time as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom. 'Eagles fans have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, passion, and unwavering dedication and I am excited to meet and get to know them. 'I have great respect for Steve Parish and the leadership he has provided over the years. 'I look forward to working with him and the entire ownership group to build on the club's recent successes and help shape an exciting future for Crystal Palace. 'This is more than an investment – it's a commitment to realising the vision for the club, the community, and the culture around Selhurst Park.' Johnson's arrival at Palace comes with the club in dispute with UEFA over which European competition they will play in next season after winning the FA Cup in May. The Eagles were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League after falling foul of UEFA's rules governing multi-club ownership, but have submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. UEFA determined that as of March 1, American businessman John Textor had control or influence in Palace and French club Lyon. Textor said he had agreed to sell his stake in Palace to Johnson, but the move came too late to satisfy UEFA. Parish said: 'At this exciting time for Crystal Palace, we are delighted to be welcoming Woody to the ownership of the football club, and we very much look forward to working alongside him to build on our historic recent success moving forwards.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store