Girls Flag Football's Olympic Future On Display At Rams Community Club Championship

CARSON, Calif. — What started as a growing high school sport has quickly become a pathway to flag football college scholarships, national teams and even Olympic dreams.

More than 300 student-athletes from across Southern California gathered Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park for the inaugural Los Angeles Rams Girls Flag Community Club Championships, bringing together seven club organizations and 25 teams to celebrate the continued growth of girls’ flag football.

For athletes like Inglewood High School senior Sarrell Howard, the sport has already created opportunities that didn't exist just a few years ago.

"Actually, I'm attending San Diego State University in the fall, and I'll be playing for the flag football team," Howard said. "Hopefully I'll get a chance to play in the 2028 Olympics."

Howard is one of many Southern California athletes benefiting from the rapid expansion of girls’ flag football, which will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

From High School Fields To College Opportunities

The growth of the sport has created new opportunities for athletes looking to continue their playing careers at the next level.

Long Beach Poly standout Julie Lopez, a member of the Class of 2027, has already begun attracting college interest and has her sights set on representing her country someday.

"The future looks like for me, I'm hoping to get more offers," Lopez said. "I want to go to college, represent my college, and hopefully make Team USA and represent my name to the whole world."

Wilson High's Jordyn Jefferson has watched the sport transform during her high school career.

"Seeing people going to USA to play flag and seeing where I can get scholarships to play in college, it's amazing," Jefferson said. "I just see how big flag is getting."

Jefferson, who already has college offers, hopes to continue playing at the collegiate level and eventually compete for Team USA.

For many athletes competing Saturday, those goals no longer feel out of reach.

Coaches Witness the Sport's Explosive Growth

Few people have had a better view of the sport's evolution than the coaches helping develop the next generation of players.

Coach Mike Stachacz of Crean Lutheran High School has watched girls flag football grow from a niche activity into one of the fastest-rising sports in California.

"I remember four years ago, it was just in the baby stages," Stachacz said. "Now it's taken off. It's going to be in the Olympics in two years and colleges are offering opportunities. The future is bright for these young girls."

Premium Sports founder Malik James believes the growth is only beginning.

"The rise of women's sports is growing fast," James said. "For us to get into it and watch it grow at a fast pace as it is, it's great."

James also believes today's young athletes are laying the groundwork for an even higher level of competition in the future.

"If the girls come in at the same age of eight and they train all year, I think the girls will be a little bit more superior," he said.

For Roula Girls Flag Football founder Tyree McLyn, the growth of the sport is personal. McLyn launched the Long Beach-based program after watching her daughter become part of the early wave of girls flag football athletes. In just a short time, her daughter has earned recognition from USA Football and is currently pursuing a chance to compete in the 2028 Olympics.

"I wanted all the girls in Long Beach to have that same experience that we had," McLyn said. "It's fun. It's empowering. It brings courage and tenacity and thought process and strategy."

McLyn believes the opportunities now available to young women are transforming the sport.

"It gives the young girls a chance to play in college and to see the world and to play pro," McLyn said. "Any time that is established and given to young women, how is it not incredible?"

Building The Next Generation

The championship tournament served as the culmination of the first season of the Rams Girls Flag Community Club Initiative, which supports programs throughout Long Beach, East Los Angeles, Inglewood, Seal Beach, South Orange County and the South Bay.

The initiative provides uniforms, equipment, coaching education, field support and development opportunities while helping athletes continue competing outside of the traditional high school season.

Tournament Field Breakdown & Champions

To demonstrate the massive footprint of this initiative, the tournament brought together a highly competitive field across four youth divisions, closing out the action with hard-fought championship matchups:

10U Division — Featured clubs: Beach, South OC Wave, BCS Gold, East LA Wildcats
Winner: BCS Gold — Won best 2 out of 3 series

12U Division — Featured clubs: Beach, South OC Wave, BCS Gold, Roula
Winner: BCS Gold — 26-25 over Beach

14U Division — Featured clubs: Beach, South OC Wave, BCS Gold, Roula, LA Legends
Winner: Beach — 28-13 over South OC Wave

18U Division — Featured clubs: Beach, South OC Wave, BCS Gold, Premium, Roula, LA Legends, East LA Wildcats
Winner: BCS Gold — 21-20 over Roula

According to Rams Manager of Social Justice and Football Development Noel Grigsby, creating sustainable opportunities for young athletes remains the primary goal.

"We want to make sure girls can start, they can grow and they can learn and fall in love with the game of football alongside each other," Grigsby said.

Grigsby said the initiative is about more than football, helping create leadership opportunities both on and off the field.

"When you talk about confidence, when you talk about instilling empowerment, we want to make sure they can learn that at an early age," Grigsby said. "We also want to make sure we're preparing our next generation, and we start here on the football field."

Looking Ahead to LA28

With flag football preparing to take center stage at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the athletes competing Saturday represent a generation entering the sport at exactly the right time.

For Howard, the pathway is already becoming reality. The Inglewood High School senior is headed to San Diego State this fall, with Olympic aspirations firmly in her sights.

And judging by the talent on display throughout the tournament, she won't be the only Southern California athlete chasing those dreams.

As girls flag football continues its remarkable rise, the players competing at Dignity Health Sports Park weren't simply battling for a championship. They were showcasing the future of one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.

Add us as a preferred source on Google