Girls Flag Football Gains Momentum with Olympic Inclusion and Support from NFL, Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Diana Flores, quarterback for Mexico’s national women’s flag football team, inspired Georgia’s top high school players at the GACA All-Star Games on Saturday, sharing her journey from facing barriers to participation to becoming a leading figure in the sport. The event, hosted by the Atlanta Falcons and presented by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, concluded the organization’s inaugural girls flag football week.
From Humble Beginnings to Olympic Stage
Flores, a two-time World Games gold medalist (2022, 2025), recounted the challenges she faced growing up in Mexico City, where she and her teammates had to clean their practice field before each session while boys’ teams enjoyed grass fields. “I almost can’t believe where we are today when looking back and seeing where we came from,” Flores said. “Nobody talked about the sport. Nobody knew what it was. Nobody believed in the game. And now, thanks to organizations like (the Falcons), people who believed in maybe what even we couldn’t witness or imagine years ago, it’s now a reality. It’s going beyond what we could have ever dreamed.”
Growth of Girls Flag Football in Georgia and Beyond
The Atlanta Falcons and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have been instrumental in the rapid expansion of girls flag football in Georgia. The state has seen an increase from zero girls flag football teams in 2017 to over 300 high schools offering the sport today, providing opportunities for more than 11,000 girls. The Falcons have provided grants, showcases, and clinics to support the sport’s growth, leading to its sanctioning in Georgia and Alabama, with Montana following suit.
The impact extends beyond Georgia, with approximately 40 NCAA schools offering women’s flag football in 2025, a number projected to rise to 60 programs this spring. This growth is fueled by the upcoming debut of flag football as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
A Grassroots Movement and a Bright Future
Flores emphasized that the growth of flag football is not accidental but the result of dedicated grassroots efforts. “It wouldn’t have happened at all if it wasn’t for programs like this existing,” she stated. “By the time we started talking about (flag football being in the Olympics), the numbers were there, the intention was there, the exposition was there. We had all of this data, all of these initiatives to back the movement up to make the people of the IOC know that yes, this game has a future.”
Flores encouraged the young athletes to embrace their opportunity to inspire future generations and shape the future of the sport. “Girls,” Flores said, “the opportunity you have right now not only to inspire, not only to live your passion but to lead the future generations and re-shape what it means to be a girl in flag, what it means to have considerable dreams and not only dare to dream big but to act and make a difference and be loud, it’s huge.” She added, “Everything we do creates this path that goes beyond just us.”
Editor’s note: This story will be updated with game recaps and highlights from the four GACA All-Star games being played Saturday at the Falcons facility.