An event held this Thursday (5) in the capital of São Paulo brought together players and former players to talk about flag football, a sport that will debut at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, as a tool for social development and to encourage women to practice the sport. Flag football is similar to American football, but is considered a more accessible version with less physical contact. The name refers to the flags that are tied to the athletes’ waists and that must be removed by opponents when they want to stop the play.
On the eve of the National Football League (NFL) game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers in Brazil, which will face each other on Friday night (6) at NeoQuimica Arena, the event brought together former American football players Derrick Mitchell and Jeremiah Brown to lead a flag activity for 100 girls from social projects. There was also participation from athletes from the Brazilian Women’s Flag Team and former basketball and volleyball player Shannon Spriggs Murdoch.
Called Flag! Future Leaders, Active Girls, the event was organized by Nossa Arena, a multi-sports arena located in the Barra Funda region and exclusively for girls, women and trans people who love sports and whose goal is to increase female participation in the sport in the country. The event was organized in partnership with the Institute for Sport and Social Justice, the Brazilian Women’s National Flag Football Team and the United States Embassy and Consulate in Brazil.
“Tomorrow, we have the first NFL game in Brazil, a very historic moment, so we wanted to take advantage of the fact that we are part of this movement and with the people from the United States here to be able to talk a little about flag football, which is a modality that will debut at the Los Angeles Olympics”, explained Julia Vergueiro, founder and president of Nossa Arena.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to bring this flag community here, to talk about what it means to be an athlete and what it means to be a coach, both from the technical side, but mainly from the mental health side, this journey that is still little talked about in the lives of athletes. We also want to talk a little about diversity and inclusion,” she said.
For Ashleigh Huffman, vice president of global engagement at the Institute for Sport and Social Justice, the event is an opportunity to prepare Brazil for the Olympics and also to “empower, equip and build something special”. “At the institute, we work to build a safer, more equitable and more inclusive world,” she said.
According to Júlia Vergueiro, sport is a fundamental tool in social development and women’s empowerment. “It is very important that we promote sport for girls and women, so that they understand that they can occupy spaces, be who they want to be and understand that they have this power within them.”
Flag
Ingrid Araújo Camargo, who is part of the coaching staff of the Brazilian Women’s Flag Football Team, explains that flag football is a variation of American football. “It has the same objective of conquering territory, is played on grass, is played with an oval ball, but is more accessible and easier for people to play, because it doesn’t require equipment. All you need is the ball, a belt with two flags and a lot of determination.”
The Brazilian Women’s Flag Football Team has been participating in international championships for over 12 years and is currently one of the best in the world. “We just got back from the World Cup in Finland. We played really well and competed against the best teams in the world. This year we were in the top 13, but even so we competed against all the teams. We still don’t know what the ranking will be like. [para as Olimpíadas de Los Angeles]as the qualifiers for the Olympic Games will be, but we have quality and we will continue training so that, when we get there, we can fight for a medal.”
Although flag is not a new sport in the country, with over 100 men’s and women’s teams, it is still not a well-known competition among Brazilians. For Ingrid, it is necessary to promote this sport at the grassroots level so that Brazil can also become a powerhouse in flag. “We need children, teenagers and a new spirit to play flag so that we can reach the Olympic Games at a better competitive age. Today, the people who play flag are those who started playing long ago, those who have been playing for a long time. These are people who are at a high level, but they will need to be renewed until then. So, our goals now are to promote the grassroots level,” she stated.
