Up On Game Presents Stay A While With Tommi Vincent Featuring Troy Vincent Sr. "Football Is For All"
October 17, 2023 • 24 mins
“Football is for all.”- Troy Vincent Sr.
On October 16, 2023 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced flag football will be an Olympic sport in LA 2028. This is a historical moment for the football world. Especially a monumental moment for girls and women who play the game. Men and women will be able to compete and represent their country with currently over 20 million participants in 100 countries playing flag football. Today’s guest was a key player, along with many others in ensuring flag football will take the global stage.
Troy Vincent Sr., Executive Vice President of Football Operations at the National Football League, joins host Tommi A. Vincent to discuss:
- Why advocating for flag football to become an Olympic sport was important.
- How flag football creates a pipeline to grow the game of football.
- The importance of hearing and receiving input from women who play flag football to fairly define what, when, and how the season would shape up.
- The NFL’s engagement with universities, high schools, and youth programs to get flag football in all schools.
- Flag football accessibility to all.
Host: Tommi A. Vincent / @ChefTommiV / www.TommiV.com
Guest: Troy Vincent Sr. / www.TroyVincent.com
Produced by: Tommi A. Vincent and Up On Game Network
Music By: Stichiz - Big T. Music / Roj & Twinkie
#upongame
Support the show: https://www.upongame.network/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hey, good people, this is your hostess with the mostest
Tommy V back and looking forward to more conversations at
the Stay at Wild Table. There has been some exciting
news in the world of sports. The International Olympic Committee
has named flag football as a competitive sport for LA
(00:26):
twenty twenty eight. This has far reaching positive implications in
the United States and around the globe. The next several
conversations will dive deeper into this history making decision. Speaking
with a variety of key players who are elated and
(00:46):
proud to definitively say football is for all. I want
to say everyone, I am so grateful and honored that
you have chosen to take your at the Stay a
Wild Table to listen in on my conversation with today's guests.
We have joining us Troy Vincent Senior, the executive vice
(01:10):
president of football Operations for the National Football League, and
today Troy and I are going to be talking about
some major news that took place today. But before we
go there, Troy, I want to thank you for taking
the time.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Everyone. When you're listening to this.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Recording, the recording is actually being done on Monday, October sixteenth,
so it literally is the day that this big news
has gone forward. It's also Monday Night football, so Troy
is in the office Monday evening getting ready to do
what he does and making sure that the game is
(01:50):
being played for everyone to see.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So, Troy, thank you so much for joining us at
the table.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, thanks for having me forward to the conversation.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So now I mentioned that today we have some significant
news that has taken place the International Olympics Committee.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They have added flag football to the slate of sports
that are going to be played during LA twenty twenty eight.
So Troy, what exactly does that mean.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Well, it's now the game, the game of football being
put on as we would say, global stage. It's been
a tremendous undertaking over the last say two years. Our
co chair Vision twenty eight along with Pierre for myfav
and the undertaking has been the process with the International
(02:47):
Olympic Committee that you referenced the IOC and proving out
that you truly have a sport that can be played
by both men and women across the continent. So there
was an ongoing application application process that talked about how
we want to develop the sport, develop athletes, develop coaches,
(03:08):
develop officials, making sure that all children adults have access,
that there was no barriers to entry from if you
want to talk, from finances to gender, to race two venue.
So that's been a it's been an ongoing, long process
(03:29):
and to see it come to pass and ifav our
partner international partner along with USA Football, it's it's been
a grueling but very satisfying Why because the game of football,
the game that I loved, the game that I know
that you love, it could be played by everybody in
anybody across the globe.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So you mentioned a couple of highlights on how this
impacts the game and the accessibility that it provides. So
you're breaking down many barriers from an economical perspective, from
agenda perspective, and I know this is major for women
in sports. So can you share with us what is
(04:13):
the impact of access for women in flag football?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It's a game changer. You know, the sport of football
has always been dominated, at least here in the States,
it's predominantly been played by men and young boys. Today,
with the announcement of flag being part of the Olympic agenda,
it truly does allow women. Frankly that North Star we
(04:41):
talk about dreams and aspirations of playing the sport and
where does the sport lead us? Or for all boys,
for going back one hundred years, boys had the ability
to play not only in middle school, high school, their
aspirations of playing college football, but never the Olympics, and
that was always just geared towards young boys and young men. Today,
(05:05):
with the announcement of flag football being on the Olympic agenda, women,
young girls have the same opportunity as young And let
me tell you when you go around the country and
you watch the young ladies compete, they're highly skilled, extremely competitive,
(05:26):
and they have a true understanding of the game. It
is is game changing for the game of football. We're
not talking professional football here and we're the only sport
and here domestically that there was not an Olympic aspiration.
You look at boxing, look at baseball, you look at basketball,
you look at swimming, you look at golf, all the
(05:48):
other major sports, soccer, there was a frankly, a true
north Star and young men always wanting to rep their country. Today,
with the announcement today, both young men and young women
could rep their country. For my position, as part of
(06:10):
one preserving and maintaining and growing the game tremendous milestone
for the sport of football.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And we know that all other sports that are represented
in the Olympics, you have both male and females that
are represented competing against all the different countries. Now currently
there are twenty million, twenty million people that are playing
flag football in over one hundred countries all over the globe,
(06:42):
and now we're bringing it so that now they will
take the main stage for all the world to see,
which is pretty amazing. And you know, I've been fortunate
to be able to interview now Sika del Orto from Milan, Italy,
and I have spoken to Deanna Flores from Mexico and
Odessa Jenkins here in the United States, and those three
(07:06):
women come to mind when I think about the work
that has been done when the lights weren't on. These
women have since they were young, have been really put
pound in the pavement and they've been competing and they
have been doing it for a very long time. And
(07:26):
so there is this sense of encouragement in my heart
that these women now are going to be celebrated and
on the world stage. Have you spoken to any of
the women that you have been connected with that you've
come in contact with via the sport of flag football.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Not today, not since the announcement, and that's my plan. Tomorrow,
I'll have an opportunity to talk to the membership, that's
the thirty two clubs, thirty two club owners to talk
about and we'll celebrate together. And then my plans were
to just reach out. Those are true trailblazers that you'd
reference to. So these memen, these women have been playing
the sport uh that wasn't People didn't accept them. They
(08:08):
were dreaming frankly, with their their eyes closed. They can
now dream with their eyes open. We hear that it's
now a true mile marker that young women across the globe,
here in the United States and across the world, you
can now play on the largest stage. So we think
about the National Football League, we think about the Olympics,
(08:31):
imagine those, you know, when we see this emergence of
these two, these two brands, it truly does put all
athletes of all races, all genders on the biggest stage
in the world. So the young ladies that you just reference,
they're true trailblazers and I'm looking forward to celebrate this
(08:52):
moment with them.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And what are you going to say to them.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
One, congratulations, if the interest, I'll be interested in hearing
their path to what does their game look like? Because
now it's okay, there was this global reach and let
me just we want to embrace we want the whole
world competing. Now I'm like Team USA, okay, like it's
(09:21):
now about winning. It's now about winning and bringing the
gold home. But I will celebrate them. I will tell them,
thank you, thank you for their hard work. Their work
was not in vain, and today the fruit of their
labors we see it in the IOC, the IFAF, the
work of the IFAF, the work of USA football, all
(09:42):
of these things came together to now see flag football
in the LA twenty twenty eight Olympics.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So, as you know, I've had a front row seat
in this process of over the last couple of years
of your investment of time. And I heard you say
for the first time on Good Morning Football that you
have spent forty percent of your time over this past
year really working and hitting the pavement to be to
(10:13):
get this done along with all the other team members
that were invested here.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Why was it so important to you?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Well once the season concluded, so that forty percent of
my time was Super Bowl INDs and now I am
rules potential, new rules, college relations. But I felt like
it was important to get out of my seat, get
on the streets and talk to young women. Those that
(10:46):
are closest to the issues are closest to solutions. And
I felt like traveling the country speaking to parents, speaking
to student athletes, speaking to young women and the middle
school level, the high schoo level, the collegiate level, talking
to coaches, because we got one chance to get it right,
(11:07):
and it's one chance to make sure that what the
women want for themselves is important as we build the
sport of flag football. RCX Sports. Who's our partner here
in the United States is where people go to sign up,
people go to find the league. They've been an integral
(11:28):
partner of getting flagged in schools leagues flag leagues around
the country, but getting on the streets and talking and
sitting down and talking to young women, young student athletes
about how they feel about rules, how they feel about uniforms,
(11:49):
how they feel about when what's the right time of
year that the sports should be played so that they
could be celebrated. I felt like those things was important Tommy,
so that when when I came back here to the
office sharing with my colleagues. This is what I learned
from women, not an assumption, not my own theories, not
(12:10):
my own assumptions. Here's my feedback from thousands of women
who love the game of football.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You mentioned how this sport has the ability to grow,
to grow the game. What conversations have you had with
universities and high schools and youth leagues and an effort
to build this pipeline and you know, really preparing the
athletes to get ready to compete in at the level
(12:41):
of the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Well, it starts at the grassroot level, the pipeline we're
talking twenty twenty eight. So truly, you have the professionals
here that some will put their hands up, some won't.
You have the collegiate athlete, but the young men and
women that are in the high school level, middle school,
high school level, that's really the athlete that you'll see
(13:03):
coming up in that twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven
in preparation for the LA twenty eight games. I'm really
excited about our partnership with the colleges and right now
we have been in discussion with about over one hundred schools.
That's at the Division one, Division two, and the Division
three level. About flag football. You know, we've been in
(13:26):
partnership with the NAI the last few years junior colleges,
a bunch of Division one, Division two, and Division three schools.
We're gonna have some conferences, been in conversation with the
Big twelve about introducing flag football at that conference level.
So that part I'm excited about because that is the
(13:47):
pipeline that is where you develop talent. So I'm looking
looking forward to that, really excited about that. And then
the youth levels, we're going to keep growing it with
a partner in RCX Sports at the level we want
to see flag football in all schools. You know, when
we see the declining activity of young people and we
(14:07):
talk about that with our grandkids, how do we keep
kids active? Well, one way you can say, introduce your kids,
your children to flag football. It's a great way to
keep them physically active on a daily basis. As you
look and seek to keep your kids or grandkids active.
Middle school, high school, we have eight which I didn't
(14:27):
reference earlier, which I should have. When I think about
the significance of this week, I also think about women's
sanction the states that have sanctioned girls varsity flag as
a varsity sport, that's critical. Like the boys you got
varsity football. So there's aspirations from a young you know,
(14:49):
a young man, young teenager to say I can play
varsity sport. Well, we have eight states today that have
girls flag as a state varsity sanctioned sport, with twenty
five that have ran a pilot of that this year,
the twenty twenty three fall year. I think with the
(15:14):
announcement that happened today, I think all of the states
now you have to reconsider because you don't want to
be the state that are not giving women and young
men the opportunity, in particular young women to participate in
an Olympic sport because you don't offer it. So excited
(15:34):
about that. There are eight states currently that's Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California,
and Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and New York. Those states have
sanctioned girls varsity flag and those other twenty five. We're
hoping at the end of this year, going into the
spring and summer of twenty twenty four, that we'll see
some other states come on board.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
So desire our oldest daughter. She played flag football and
her nickname was.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Crazy when we were in Florida. And also tron our Son,
who is a graduate of Ohio State University, the Ohio
State University, his.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Introduction to football was via flag football.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And I know there is a statistic statistic that speaks
to the likelihood of young people playing the game of
football if they start with flag football.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
What is that statistic.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, it says and we just began to study, We've
just started, so you're you're more likely one out of
four students I'm gonna use the term students that play
flag or more likely to play continue playing tackle football
at the high school level. And I think you can
do both. That's the apparent decision on whether a household
(17:00):
decision on whether a kid plays tackle. But that's the
beauty of flag. The beauty of flag is it's an
introduction to the sport and it's also an introduction to
develop your skill level to the sport of football. And
we've seen, you know, we've seen some research that says,
you know, a child is more likely to play tackle
(17:20):
football with a good experience in flag. So that's those
things are all positives. And again, if a parent is
out there, you're thinking about it. Well, I hear the
sport is dangerous. It's a contact sport. It is, and
the sport has some inherited risk like all contact sports.
But I would just say the National Football League USA
(17:43):
Football RC ex sports, the amount of research, the amount
of just we've put our arms around protecting a student
athlete from unnecessary risk. There are risks associated with our game,
and that's why we really believe that flag is a
(18:03):
good entry point. It's easy to learn, it's pretty simple,
it doesn't take a special venue, very accessible, very economical,
so it's very feasible. It's social media friendly. I say
that because that's important for young people. People want to
(18:23):
have an opportunity to showcase their skills, share their skills,
and those things are important for young people during this time.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Will you share, Because you've mentioned a couple of times
in regards to the venue accessibility as well as the
economic factor. So when you're saying that in.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Regards to flag football being accessible, what do you mean
by that?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Good question? So, typically football, when we think about football today,
we think of you got to have the hundred yard field,
it has to be in a stadium, It has to
be on turf. It has to have all of these,
like there's a special venue. That's where it's at the
youth level in particular, high school, college and the pros
just a whole whole nother ballgame. So it doesn't take
(19:14):
a special venue for our grandkids or our kids. They
can go right outside in the driveway. You can go
right to the park in your backyard. You can pick
up a ball and you can play flag football. So
when we talk about it doesn't need a special venue.
You can do it anyplace in a gym, inside, outside,
in the garage, So you don't need a special venue
(19:36):
to participate a flag and a ball. It is the
cheapest form of the most economical form of sport. You know,
you don't have to go to your local store and
purchase a whole bunch of equipment. It's a flag, flag belt.
You can play it in sneaks, you can play it
(19:57):
in clease, whatever you have. So those these things are
important so that all kids, all families have access to
the game that we love.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
So now I know over the last couple of years
for Safe Zone Activity Day that we you and I
through our foundation love thy neighbor, have conducted in the
Super Bowl City's Moman Open has been instrumental in supplying
(20:27):
our school partner with NFL Flag kits and in reading
some of the news that was going out today, there
was information there was a link where if youth programs
were interested in getting involved and becoming part of NFL Flag,
(20:47):
there was information there. Where can people go to get
this information so that if they desire to be a
part of NFL Flag, they can get access.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
NFL Flag dot Com. NFL Flag go go directly to
NFL flag dot com. And what that can do is
you can search for a league, or you can find
out how do I sign up? Also play football NFL
Play Football NFL playfootball dot com. So that's another place
where you can go. But nflflag dot com is the
(21:20):
place for parents, kids, coaches to go to find a place,
find a location. Here's where I can sign up.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So, Troy, before I let you go, is there any
additional information that you would like to share with us
in regards to this moment in history that has been
hard fault by many people to bring to fruition.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I would just say just consider for those who have
not considered flag the game of football, and we talk
about the values of the game, and I just have
to share that because it's something that I experience and
mellions of children through time have experienced the game. There's
some things that the game offers, some life values that
(22:08):
the game. The values of football is what we always say, teamwork, resiliency,
you know, trust. There are things that the game allows
for you to experience that transfers into everyday life. And
if you haven't tried it, if you're a parent that's
(22:29):
thinking about what should my child do? How do I
keep my kid active? Please try try football. Try flag football.
It's a wonderful sport played by millions of folks around
the world. But if you're thinking about try it, NFL
flag dot Com find you a league, go on to
(22:51):
the website, look for information. It may have some questions
here to some frequently asked questions. How safe is it?
Where do I go? What equipment requirements? I think it
would answer a lot of those questions. But I just
want you to try. Now. There is an aspirational goal
that you can rep your country. You can play in
(23:12):
the state championship if you're in one of those states
right now that are sanctioning a girls' varsity flag hoping
that all states, all fifty plus states have sanctioned girls
high school varsity flag football here in the coming years,
but try it well.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I want to thank you so much for joining us today.
I know that you have to get back to work.
Well this has work too, because you're continuing to tell
the story and amplify the work that's being done to
ensure that football truly is for everyone. So I want
to thank you Troy for joining me at the table today,
(23:49):
and I appreciate you coming to Stay a While.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Well. Thanks for having me and football is for all
as always, I am so glad that you pulled up
your seat to stay a while.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Tune in to Stay a While podcast host it by
Yours Truly on up on Game Network, Follow us at
Stay a While show on Instagram and Facebook. I look
forward to seeing you at the table.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I want to stay a loud
Hey, good people, this is your hostess with the mostest
Tommy V back and looking forward to more conversations at
the Stay at Wild Table. There has been some exciting
news in the world of sports. The International Olympic Committee
has named flag football as a competitive sport for LA
(00:26):
twenty twenty eight. This has far reaching positive implications in
the United States and around the globe. The next several
conversations will dive deeper into this history making decision. Speaking
with a variety of key players who are elated and
(00:46):
proud to definitively say football is for all. I want
to say everyone, I am so grateful and honored that
you have chosen to take your at the Stay a
Wild Table to listen in on my conversation with today's guests.
We have joining us Troy Vincent Senior, the executive vice
(01:10):
president of football Operations for the National Football League, and
today Troy and I are going to be talking about
some major news that took place today. But before we
go there, Troy, I want to thank you for taking
the time.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Everyone. When you're listening to this.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Recording, the recording is actually being done on Monday, October sixteenth,
so it literally is the day that this big news
has gone forward. It's also Monday Night football, so Troy
is in the office Monday evening getting ready to do
what he does and making sure that the game is
(01:50):
being played for everyone to see.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So, Troy, thank you so much for joining us at
the table.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Well, thanks for having me forward to the conversation.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So now I mentioned that today we have some significant
news that has taken place the International Olympics Committee.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They have added flag football to the slate of sports
that are going to be played during LA twenty twenty eight.
So Troy, what exactly does that mean.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Well, it's now the game, the game of football being
put on as we would say, global stage. It's been
a tremendous undertaking over the last say two years. Our
co chair Vision twenty eight along with Pierre for myfav
and the undertaking has been the process with the International
(02:47):
Olympic Committee that you referenced the IOC and proving out
that you truly have a sport that can be played
by both men and women across the continent. So there
was an ongoing application application process that talked about how
we want to develop the sport, develop athletes, develop coaches,
(03:08):
develop officials, making sure that all children adults have access,
that there was no barriers to entry from if you
want to talk, from finances to gender, to race two venue.
So that's been a it's been an ongoing, long process
(03:29):
and to see it come to pass and ifav our
partner international partner along with USA Football, it's it's been
a grueling but very satisfying Why because the game of football,
the game that I loved, the game that I know
that you love, it could be played by everybody in
anybody across the globe.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So you mentioned a couple of highlights on how this
impacts the game and the accessibility that it provides. So
you're breaking down many barriers from an economical perspective, from
agenda perspective, and I know this is major for women
in sports. So can you share with us what is
(04:13):
the impact of access for women in flag football?
Speaker 3 (04:18):
It's a game changer. You know, the sport of football
has always been dominated, at least here in the States,
it's predominantly been played by men and young boys. Today,
with the announcement of flag being part of the Olympic agenda,
it truly does allow women. Frankly that North Star we
(04:41):
talk about dreams and aspirations of playing the sport and
where does the sport lead us? Or for all boys,
for going back one hundred years, boys had the ability
to play not only in middle school, high school, their
aspirations of playing college football, but never the Olympics, and
that was always just geared towards young boys and young men. Today,
(05:05):
with the announcement of flag football being on the Olympic agenda, women,
young girls have the same opportunity as young And let
me tell you when you go around the country and
you watch the young ladies compete, they're highly skilled, extremely competitive,
(05:26):
and they have a true understanding of the game. It
is is game changing for the game of football. We're
not talking professional football here and we're the only sport
and here domestically that there was not an Olympic aspiration.
You look at boxing, look at baseball, you look at basketball,
you look at swimming, you look at golf, all the
(05:48):
other major sports, soccer, there was a frankly, a true
north Star and young men always wanting to rep their country. Today,
with the announcement today, both young men and young women
could rep their country. For my position, as part of
(06:10):
one preserving and maintaining and growing the game tremendous milestone
for the sport of football.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
And we know that all other sports that are represented
in the Olympics, you have both male and females that
are represented competing against all the different countries. Now currently
there are twenty million, twenty million people that are playing
flag football in over one hundred countries all over the globe,
(06:42):
and now we're bringing it so that now they will
take the main stage for all the world to see,
which is pretty amazing. And you know, I've been fortunate
to be able to interview now Sika del Orto from Milan, Italy,
and I have spoken to Deanna Flores from Mexico and
Odessa Jenkins here in the United States, and those three
(07:06):
women come to mind when I think about the work
that has been done when the lights weren't on. These
women have since they were young, have been really put
pound in the pavement and they've been competing and they
have been doing it for a very long time. And
(07:26):
so there is this sense of encouragement in my heart
that these women now are going to be celebrated and
on the world stage. Have you spoken to any of
the women that you have been connected with that you've
come in contact with via the sport of flag football.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Not today, not since the announcement, and that's my plan. Tomorrow,
I'll have an opportunity to talk to the membership, that's
the thirty two clubs, thirty two club owners to talk
about and we'll celebrate together. And then my plans were
to just reach out. Those are true trailblazers that you'd
reference to. So these memen, these women have been playing
the sport uh that wasn't People didn't accept them. They
(08:08):
were dreaming frankly, with their their eyes closed. They can
now dream with their eyes open. We hear that it's
now a true mile marker that young women across the globe,
here in the United States and across the world, you
can now play on the largest stage. So we think
about the National Football League, we think about the Olympics,
(08:31):
imagine those, you know, when we see this emergence of
these two, these two brands, it truly does put all
athletes of all races, all genders on the biggest stage
in the world. So the young ladies that you just reference,
they're true trailblazers and I'm looking forward to celebrate this
(08:52):
moment with them.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
And what are you going to say to them.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
One, congratulations, if the interest, I'll be interested in hearing
their path to what does their game look like? Because
now it's okay, there was this global reach and let
me just we want to embrace we want the whole
world competing. Now I'm like Team USA, okay, like it's
(09:21):
now about winning. It's now about winning and bringing the
gold home. But I will celebrate them. I will tell them,
thank you, thank you for their hard work. Their work
was not in vain, and today the fruit of their
labors we see it in the IOC, the IFAF, the
work of the IFAF, the work of USA football, all
(09:42):
of these things came together to now see flag football
in the LA twenty twenty eight Olympics.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
So, as you know, I've had a front row seat
in this process of over the last couple of years
of your investment of time. And I heard you say
for the first time on Good Morning Football that you
have spent forty percent of your time over this past
year really working and hitting the pavement to be to
(10:13):
get this done along with all the other team members
that were invested here.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Why was it so important to you?
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Well once the season concluded, so that forty percent of
my time was Super Bowl INDs and now I am
rules potential, new rules, college relations. But I felt like
it was important to get out of my seat, get
on the streets and talk to young women. Those that
(10:46):
are closest to the issues are closest to solutions. And
I felt like traveling the country speaking to parents, speaking
to student athletes, speaking to young women and the middle
school level, the high schoo level, the collegiate level, talking
to coaches, because we got one chance to get it right,
(11:07):
and it's one chance to make sure that what the
women want for themselves is important as we build the
sport of flag football. RCX Sports. Who's our partner here
in the United States is where people go to sign up,
people go to find the league. They've been an integral
(11:28):
partner of getting flagged in schools leagues flag leagues around
the country, but getting on the streets and talking and
sitting down and talking to young women, young student athletes
about how they feel about rules, how they feel about uniforms,
(11:49):
how they feel about when what's the right time of
year that the sports should be played so that they
could be celebrated. I felt like those things was important Tommy,
so that when when I came back here to the
office sharing with my colleagues. This is what I learned
from women, not an assumption, not my own theories, not
(12:10):
my own assumptions. Here's my feedback from thousands of women
who love the game of football.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
You mentioned how this sport has the ability to grow,
to grow the game. What conversations have you had with
universities and high schools and youth leagues and an effort
to build this pipeline and you know, really preparing the
athletes to get ready to compete in at the level
(12:41):
of the Olympics.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Well, it starts at the grassroot level, the pipeline we're
talking twenty twenty eight. So truly, you have the professionals
here that some will put their hands up, some won't.
You have the collegiate athlete, but the young men and
women that are in the high school level, middle school,
high school level, that's really the athlete that you'll see
(13:03):
coming up in that twenty twenty six, twenty twenty seven
in preparation for the LA twenty eight games. I'm really
excited about our partnership with the colleges and right now
we have been in discussion with about over one hundred schools.
That's at the Division one, Division two, and the Division
three level. About flag football. You know, we've been in
(13:26):
partnership with the NAI the last few years junior colleges,
a bunch of Division one, Division two, and Division three schools.
We're gonna have some conferences, been in conversation with the
Big twelve about introducing flag football at that conference level.
So that part I'm excited about because that is the
(13:47):
pipeline that is where you develop talent. So I'm looking
looking forward to that, really excited about that. And then
the youth levels, we're going to keep growing it with
a partner in RCX Sports at the level we want
to see flag football in all schools. You know, when
we see the declining activity of young people and we
(14:07):
talk about that with our grandkids, how do we keep
kids active? Well, one way you can say, introduce your kids,
your children to flag football. It's a great way to
keep them physically active on a daily basis. As you
look and seek to keep your kids or grandkids active.
Middle school, high school, we have eight which I didn't
(14:27):
reference earlier, which I should have. When I think about
the significance of this week, I also think about women's
sanction the states that have sanctioned girls varsity flag as
a varsity sport, that's critical. Like the boys you got
varsity football. So there's aspirations from a young you know,
(14:49):
a young man, young teenager to say I can play
varsity sport. Well, we have eight states today that have
girls flag as a state varsity sanctioned sport, with twenty
five that have ran a pilot of that this year,
the twenty twenty three fall year. I think with the
(15:14):
announcement that happened today, I think all of the states
now you have to reconsider because you don't want to
be the state that are not giving women and young
men the opportunity, in particular young women to participate in
an Olympic sport because you don't offer it. So excited
(15:34):
about that. There are eight states currently that's Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California,
and Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and New York. Those states have
sanctioned girls varsity flag and those other twenty five. We're
hoping at the end of this year, going into the
spring and summer of twenty twenty four, that we'll see
some other states come on board.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
So desire our oldest daughter. She played flag football and
her nickname was.
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Crazy when we were in Florida. And also tron our Son,
who is a graduate of Ohio State University, the Ohio
State University, his.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Introduction to football was via flag football.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
And I know there is a statistic statistic that speaks
to the likelihood of young people playing the game of
football if they start with flag football.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
What is that statistic.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Well, it says and we just began to study, We've
just started, so you're you're more likely one out of
four students I'm gonna use the term students that play
flag or more likely to play continue playing tackle football
at the high school level. And I think you can
do both. That's the apparent decision on whether a household
(17:00):
decision on whether a kid plays tackle. But that's the
beauty of flag. The beauty of flag is it's an
introduction to the sport and it's also an introduction to
develop your skill level to the sport of football. And
we've seen, you know, we've seen some research that says,
you know, a child is more likely to play tackle
(17:20):
football with a good experience in flag. So that's those
things are all positives. And again, if a parent is
out there, you're thinking about it. Well, I hear the
sport is dangerous. It's a contact sport. It is, and
the sport has some inherited risk like all contact sports.
But I would just say the National Football League USA
(17:43):
Football RC ex sports, the amount of research, the amount
of just we've put our arms around protecting a student
athlete from unnecessary risk. There are risks associated with our game,
and that's why we really believe that flag is a
(18:03):
good entry point. It's easy to learn, it's pretty simple,
it doesn't take a special venue, very accessible, very economical,
so it's very feasible. It's social media friendly. I say
that because that's important for young people. People want to
(18:23):
have an opportunity to showcase their skills, share their skills,
and those things are important for young people during this time.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Will you share, Because you've mentioned a couple of times
in regards to the venue accessibility as well as the
economic factor. So when you're saying that in.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
Regards to flag football being accessible, what do you mean
by that?
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Good question? So, typically football, when we think about football today,
we think of you got to have the hundred yard field,
it has to be in a stadium, It has to
be on turf. It has to have all of these,
like there's a special venue. That's where it's at the
youth level in particular, high school, college and the pros
just a whole whole nother ballgame. So it doesn't take
(19:14):
a special venue for our grandkids or our kids. They
can go right outside in the driveway. You can go
right to the park in your backyard. You can pick
up a ball and you can play flag football. So
when we talk about it doesn't need a special venue.
You can do it anyplace in a gym, inside, outside,
in the garage, So you don't need a special venue
(19:36):
to participate a flag and a ball. It is the
cheapest form of the most economical form of sport. You know,
you don't have to go to your local store and
purchase a whole bunch of equipment. It's a flag, flag belt.
You can play it in sneaks, you can play it
(19:57):
in clease, whatever you have. So those these things are
important so that all kids, all families have access to
the game that we love.
Speaker 1 (20:06):
So now I know over the last couple of years
for Safe Zone Activity Day that we you and I
through our foundation love thy neighbor, have conducted in the
Super Bowl City's Moman Open has been instrumental in supplying
(20:27):
our school partner with NFL Flag kits and in reading
some of the news that was going out today, there
was information there was a link where if youth programs
were interested in getting involved and becoming part of NFL Flag,
(20:47):
there was information there. Where can people go to get
this information so that if they desire to be a
part of NFL Flag, they can get access.
Speaker 3 (20:59):
NFL Flag dot Com. NFL Flag go go directly to
NFL flag dot com. And what that can do is
you can search for a league, or you can find
out how do I sign up? Also play football NFL
Play Football NFL playfootball dot com. So that's another place
where you can go. But nflflag dot com is the
(21:20):
place for parents, kids, coaches to go to find a place,
find a location. Here's where I can sign up.
Speaker 1 (21:28):
So, Troy, before I let you go, is there any
additional information that you would like to share with us
in regards to this moment in history that has been
hard fault by many people to bring to fruition.
Speaker 3 (21:47):
I would just say just consider for those who have
not considered flag the game of football, and we talk
about the values of the game, and I just have
to share that because it's something that I experience and
mellions of children through time have experienced the game. There's
some things that the game offers, some life values that
(22:08):
the game. The values of football is what we always say, teamwork, resiliency,
you know, trust. There are things that the game allows
for you to experience that transfers into everyday life. And
if you haven't tried it, if you're a parent that's
(22:29):
thinking about what should my child do? How do I
keep my kid active? Please try try football. Try flag football.
It's a wonderful sport played by millions of folks around
the world. But if you're thinking about try it, NFL
flag dot Com find you a league, go on to
(22:51):
the website, look for information. It may have some questions
here to some frequently asked questions. How safe is it?
Where do I go? What equipment requirements? I think it
would answer a lot of those questions. But I just
want you to try. Now. There is an aspirational goal
that you can rep your country. You can play in
(23:12):
the state championship if you're in one of those states
right now that are sanctioning a girls' varsity flag hoping
that all states, all fifty plus states have sanctioned girls
high school varsity flag football here in the coming years,
but try it well.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
I want to thank you so much for joining us today.
I know that you have to get back to work.
Well this has work too, because you're continuing to tell
the story and amplify the work that's being done to
ensure that football truly is for everyone. So I want
to thank you Troy for joining me at the table today,
(23:49):
and I appreciate you coming to Stay a While.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Well. Thanks for having me and football is for all
as always, I am so glad that you pulled up
your seat to stay a while.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
Tune in to Stay a While podcast host it by
Yours Truly on up on Game Network, Follow us at
Stay a While show on Instagram and Facebook. I look
forward to seeing you at the table.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
I want to stay a loud
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